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Get Ready for Kindergarten -Skills They ACTUALLY Need
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items How can you help get your child ready for kindergarten? How can you make them feel confident and build their self esteem? All of my tips and pointers as a kindergarten teacher
Sections
3
Phonics and Literacy
Motor Skills and Writing
Abstract Reasoning and Numbers
Phonics and Literacy
Are they reading? Here are some activities to challenge them. If they're not reading - no pressure, read stories to them to help build their reading skills (vocabulary, context clues, ask questions, talk about the pictures)
Help them start practicing sight words and reading words they are familiar with. Bonus - if they're writing already you can help them practice writing these words
Interactive Sight Word Games for Kindergarten
Your child already knows so many words and sounds. Start pointing out the words they know to help boost their confidence, vocabulary, and help with reading and writing later
Phonics Fun with Ms. Kern: Hands-On Activities for Kindergarten (cr and br sound)
Work on letter recognition, cvc words, and get them familiar with common words
Spelling Bee Game - Gigglescape™: Preschool Reading & Writing Kit, Educational Toy for Toddlers
Love this activity set because the letters are magnetic! There's also a whiteboard and markers. This set is great for letter recognition, spelling, and letter formation
Alphabet Travel Case - Gigglescape™: Preschool Educational Toys, Reading & Writing Kits, Fine Motor Skills Development
Children love practicing writing letters on a whiteboard and erasing them!
U Brands 11"x14" Contempo Magnetic Dry Erase Board - White: Small Wall Mount Presentation Board, Steel & Plastic
Thin markers work best for working on handwriting. Kids also love using different colors when they use whiteboards
Expo 4pk Dry Erase Markers Ultra Fine Tip Multicolored: Thin Whiteboard Markers, Low-Odor, Erasable, Art & Stationery
Motor Skills and Writing
Start building their motor skills now and it will give them a boost in their creativity (right side of their brain), vocabulary (left side of brain) and reading later
Let your child practice cutting. Random paper, old mail, boxes in your pantry. Building their fine motor skills, hand eye coordination, and help them make connections with where to cut and how fast to cut
✂️ Simple Scissors Skills for Kindergarten
Help them with their hand grip now so they can expand their vocabulary, writing skills, and creativity (right side of the brain) in the classroom
Fine Motor Skills with Markers: Learn Kindergarten Skills with Ms. Kern
Start practicing with LIQUID glue now. They'll work on how much glue to use, where to put the glue, and work on the step by step process of remembering to open the lid, check it, use it, and close it
Glue Activities for Fine Motor Skills | Learn Kindergarten Skills with Ms. Kern
My class loves doing rainbow writing! This is a quick way to have them practice their letter formation which boosts their hand eye coordination, fine motor skills, and helps with muscle memory so their brain can focus more on their ideas than sending...
Rainbow Handwriting | Practice letters h, l, b, t, k, f | -at words | -it words | letter formation
Practice making letters and letter formations by using your body! This helps build the kinesthetic connection between your body movements and the brain on how to make the formation of the letters.
Kindergarten Ready | Letter Formation | Alphabet Writing | Letters and Sounds | Upper Case Letters
Here are some of the letters children have a tough time on with letter formation
Rainbow Writing with Ms. Kern: Practicing Handwriting and Phonics for c, l, a, r, m, and n
Love using crayola markers! They have bright colors, they last long, and they're easy to put the lid off and put back on
Crayola 10ct Washable Broad Line Markers - Classic Colors: School Supplies for Kids, Classroom Must Haves, Coloring Markers
YESS! Fine line markers for the small details and when writing! Using different size markers works on different parts of the hand muscles
Crayola 10ct Kids Fine Line Markers Classic Colors: Non-Toxic Skinny Artist Markers, School Supplies for Ages 3+
Bright colors to make their art, work, and letters POP
Crayola 10ct Washable Markers Broad Line - Bright Colors
Hear me out - having a variety of colors and sizes of markers allows children to explore their creativity more and have more ideas
Crayola 10ct Kids Broadline Markers - Bold and Bright
If you really want to shake things up use scented markers! Children LOVE scented markers and they're more inclined to get creative
Crayola 10pk Silly Scents Smash Ups Slim Washable Markers
Scented markers are always a hit in my classroom. Even if they only have 1 scented marker they're excited to write and draw with it! Then share their work and tell you to smell it!
Crayola 12pk Silly Scents Smash Ups Wedge Tip Scented Markers: Washable, Fine & Broad Tip, Multicolored, Ages 3+
Playdoh is a great way to build fine motor skills. Your child can roll it into shapes, cut it with scissors, put it apart to create something new!
Play-Doh Classic Can Compound Collection Multipack
Love using blue tape to display their work on the walls. The best part is its thin enough they can practice ripping the tape themselves - boom boosting fine motor skills!
Scotch-Blue Original Multi-Surface Painter's Tape 1.88'' x 60yd: Adhesive Masking Tape for Paint Projects
Pointed scissors for when they're cutting with precision and need to cut small details
Fiskars 5" Pointed Tip Scissors - Turquoise: Kid-Friendly, 5 Inch, Lifetime Warranty, Metal & Plastic, Non-Powered Desk Tool
Blunt scissors to help them practice cutting safely
Fiskars Kid's Blunt Tip Scissors 5" - Blue: School Supplies, Left-Handed, Lifetime Warranty, Steel & Plastic
Recycled paper for them to create as much as they want and cut new projects
500ct 100% Recycled Letter Printer Paper White - up&up™: 8.5x11 Inches, 20 lb, 92 Brightness, Recyclable Printing
Lined paper to help with letter formation. Having the lines and boundaries helps with muscle memory and helps them build their letters
Practice Writing Pad - Primary Tablet (40 Sheets)
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this paper and it's a 3 pack! The paper lasts such a long time! Through different art projects, painting, markers, glue! You name it!
Melissa & Doug Deluxe Easel Paper Roll Replacement (17'' x 75'') 3pk
Abstract Reasoning and Numbers
Abstract reasoning (left side of the brain) also connects with visualizing - seeing items or pictures that aren't physically in front of you which turns into different levels of understanding and representation. These skills help with math later
Hands on learning with magnet-tiles. This activity focuses on following multistep processes, building objects, finding shapes, and tracing
Creating Puzzles for Diverse Learners: Accessibility in Kindergarten | Learn with Ms. Kern
Subtraction word problems - everyday problems to see how creatively children solve and can show how they got the answer
Subtraction Math Challenge | Word Problems | Kindergarten Math | First Grade Math | Second Grade
Dominos are a great tool to start building their number sense. Dominos works on their understanding of how to build numbers, grouping numbers, and seeing different ways to represent numbers
Wooden Family Dominoes - Gigglescape™: Classic Tile Game, 28 Pieces, Ages 4+, Family Fun
Dice are another great way of having children to start working on number recognition, building numbers, grouping, and builds up their logic and reasoning
WE Games Wooden Dice - Set of 6
I love these puzzles because you can challenge kids in different ways. Have them finish the puzzle, have them find the missing piece, have them build a picture with the pieces
Coogam 40 Pcs Wooden Blocks Puzzle Toy
Magnet tiles are great for out of box thinking! This tool requires them to focus on what they're building, stabilize the sides, and work together if they're working with more than one person. I love having these in the classroom because my students a...
YRZtiles Magnetic Building Blocks 100 pcs
Think puzzles and patterns that they build upward - building neurons in their brain in new ways for problem solving and creativity (right side of the brain) and logical thinking (left side of the brain)
Learning Resources STEM Brainometry - 34 Pcs