Beavercreek City Schools

1. Beavercreek City Schools Kindergarten Today

2. Not the kindergarten from our childhood • Expectations for social and academic progress are high • Attendance is critical • Parents play a huge role Kindergarten today is:

3. Establish sleep routines two-three weeks before school begins and continue on the days when your child is not in school • Encourage self-help skills: dressing, independent bathroom skills • Expose children to play with other children-not structured play • Show your child where kindergarten is and talk about how school-age children are different • Establish excellent attendance routines How to help your child

4. By the time school starts, your child should be able to: • Listen without interrupting • Pay attention to adult-directed tasks • Be able to attend to personal bathroom needs • Practice buttoning and zipping • Bounce a ball • Know name, address, phone number, mother and father’s names Social Skills

5. Use words instead of being physical when angry • Speak clearly • Play well with others • Follow simple directions • Manage bathroom tasks • Show good manners • Spend time away from parents Social Skills

6. Put a puzzle together • Use scissors correctly • Hold a pencil and crayons correctly Fine Motor

7. Run, jump and skip • Walk backwards • Walk up and down stairs Gross Motor

8. Cooperate with others • Learn how to solve arguments by using words to work out problems • Practice making choices Citizenship

9. Express wants and needs • Share, take turns, trade items fairly • Identify adults who help: teachers, firefighter, police officers, parents • Recognize the flag • Understand rules and consequences Economics and Government

10. Read first name • Recognize at least half upper and lower case letters • Recognize letters in first name • Recognize rhymes in familiar stories • Have an awareness of initial sounds like B in bird What Your Child Should Know

11. Hold a book right-side-up and turn pages; pretend to read words left to right • Know the difference between pictures and print • Be able to answer questions about what has been read aloud Reading Process

12. Be aware that writing conveys meaning • Express ideas to an adult who writes them down • Draw a picture of familiar objects • Print letters of own name Writing

13. Tell others about experiences and creations • Join others in reciting poems, nursery rhymes, and singing songs • Communicate with other children • Speak clearly to be understood Communication

14. Count to 10 by touching each object or while looking at number books • Tell how many objects in groups of 5 or fewer • Work on concepts: more/less, heavy/light, bigger/smaller, taller/shorter Math

15. Identify, match, sort by shape and size • Describe position: up/down, over/under, top/bottom, inside/outside, front/behind/between • Sort by size, color, shape, or how it is used (cooking, art supplies, etc.) • Copy and add on to simple patterns Geometry and Patterns

16. Begin to use science words: night, day, sun, moon, stars, cold, hot…to describe what they see • Notice seasonal change • Know that living things need food, water, and air • Learn that stories such as cartoons and movies show plants and animals doing things that are not real (flowers talking, animals singing) Science

17. Use the five senses • Recognize familiar tools: hammer, scissors, paintbrush, etc. • Ask “what if?” questions; experiment • Ask “alike” and “different” questions Science and Technology

18. Understand events that happened in the past • Discuss what is happening: weekdays are schooldays, etc. • Share personal family stories, “When I was little…” • Identify the way we belong to groups: boys, girls, preschool class, family, friends, neighborhoods Social Studies

19. For some good ideas to help your child to be ready for kindergarten, visit: • Ohio Department of Education: www.ode.state.oh.us • Summer Home Learning Recipes: • www2.ed.gov/pubs/Recipes/reck-3.html • Kindergarten Readiness Checklist: • http://school.familyeducation.com/kindergarten/school-readiness/38491.html • www.starfall.com Resources

20. Half Day Kindergarten Sample Full Day Kindergarten Schedule • 30 min. - Special • 20 min. - Reading • 35 min. - Centers • 30 min. - Calendar and Writing • 15 min. - Math • 30 min. - Arrival/morning work • 30 min. - Calendar • 20 min. - Read aloud and shared reading • 40 min. - Reading (Daily Five) • 30 min. - Snack/Recess • 30 min. - Writing Process • 30 min. - Math • 60 min. - Centers • 60 min. - Lunch/Recess/Quiet Time • 30 min. - Specials • 20 min. - Science/Social Studies Half Day vs. Full Day Kindergarten

21. Full-Day Alternate Day Schedule Monday and Thursday Or Tuesday and Friday With Added Wednesday on Alternating Weeks New Schedule

22. During the first week of school, you will bring your child in for a 30 minute appointment with your child’s teacher. During this time, you will have a chance to ask questions and share information. The teacher will then assess your child to determine his/her readiness for reading. Because teachers will be meeting with all parents and students, kindergarten classes will not be in session Aug. 23rd to Aug. 26th. First Week of School

23. Your teacher will send you a post card informing you of your appointment date and time in August. Students report for their first full week of kindergarten on either: August 29th (Group A) or August 30th (Group B). Gradual Start adapted from Perrysburg Schools