Deborah Farias Center Elementary School Curriculum Specialist May 12, 2015 Getting Your Child Ready for Kindergarten

One day they look like this…

The next they look like this…

Foundations How can I help my child be academically be ready for kindergarten?

Areas of Readiness Executive Function/Habits of Mind Social/Emotional SkillsAcademic Skills/Concepts

Executive Function/Habits of Mind Working Memory/Recall Activity initiation: get started, pay attention, finish Control Emotions Integrate language/ self- talk Take issue apart ; analyze pieces, reorganize into new ideas; complex problem solving Persistence /perseverance / delayed gratification Self-monitoring Planning, organization Shifting, inhibition

Benefits of Well-developed Executive Function 21 st Century Skills

How do young children develop Executive Function? I can plan. I can learn to how to carry out and stick to my plan.

I can practice controlling my impulses. I can persist for longer periods of time.

I can extend my working memory as I play.

What are the social and emotional expectations of kindergarten? Independence Plays well with others Express feelings in words Comfortable with other authority Listens Follows 2-3 step direction

Independence Self-help skills Snack Unpack/pack Clothing Get help Personal care (bathroom, washing hands, cough, etc.)

Play with others Share Compromise Take turns Problem-solve Acknowledge others Learn non-verbal cues

Feelings, Authority, Listening, Directions Feelings- be able to identify and express needs Authority- be comfortable and respond to directions from varied adults Listen for 10 minutes 2-3 step directions (oral)

How do I help my child expand their social/emotional skills? Let me practice independence. Let me have access to my own clothes, practical living materials, etc. Let me solve my own problems. Talk me through the problems I cannot solve on my own. Snack Clothing Unpack/Pack Getting help Following directions Personal care

Playing With Others Age appropriate Keep groups small Understand where your child is Work on coping skills outside of stressful situations Practice

Academic Skills In Kindergarten Language Arts Phonics Key Ideas/Detail Retell Stories Letter sound Writing Math Counting/Cardinality Composing/Decomposing Place value Measurement/Data Fluency Social Studies Family Community Rules/Responsibility Transportation/Jobs Science Weather Living Things/Farms Shelters Properties of Matter The Five Senses

Language Arts “Children who enter school with knowledge of letters have an advantage in grade one. Students who enter school with knowledge of books and story language have an advantage in grades 10 and 11 (Collins, 2009).”

How to select texts to extend your child’s sense of story…. One bright spring day Little White Rabbit sets out on an adventure. What will he find? Little White Rabbit hopped along.

Language, vocabulary, etc…. Long ago in Korea, when magical creatures were as common as cabbages, there lived an old gentleman and his wife. For years they longed for a child to share their tile-roofed cottage. At last a daughter was born. “Good fortune!” the old man exclaimed. “I’ll plant a pear tree in the courtyard to celebrate the day! “And Pear Blossom will be our daughter’s name,” the old woman added.

Readiness Language Arts Name Some other letters Rhyme Desire to listen to story Ask questions, notice, talk about books Tell stories Read books with elaboration, strong vocabulary Rhyming books, poetry Create rhymes, stories Notice letters, words in environment Expand everyday language Skills What you can do

Readiness Mathematics Skills: Counting Problem solving Value Number Sense Shapes What you can do: Count for fun, in context Play games Compare groups Notice shapes in environment, build new objects from shapes Solve simple problems with objects

“ I would much rather have new kindergarteners who are enthusiastic about learning, are able to engage in classroom activities independently, and feel invigorated by reasonable challenges, than a whole class of children that already know all of their letter sounds and numbers. I can teach them all that and more if they come with the skills they need to participate fully in school. Give me students who want to discover and explore, who wonder and notice.” Kindergarten teacher

Resources/Questions? Thank you for coming….. Please help yourself to some resources For additional information  Deborah Farias 