It’s crazy to me that our Peanut is at an age where school is just around the corner! He’s still in daycare this year, but next year, 3k means that he starts in the “big kid school.” Kindergarten is going to be here before we know it. As time passes, we are learning more and more how early development sets up a child for success in their education. Today, some schools assess each child’s readiness for kindergarten upon enrollment. Preschool teachers, childcare providers, and parents can work together to ensure children are ready for kindergarten. To do this, it’s important to understand which skills are necessary for lifelong learning and kindergarten readiness. Here is a list of some of the most vital skills young children should have in order to be ready for those first few months of kindergarten.

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Here are 8 Key Skills to Get Your Child Ready for Kindergarten:

1. Writing

While your little one (most likely) will not be able to write in perfect cursive handwriting upon arrival to kindergarten, he or she should know a few things about the basics of writing. You can start by teaching your kiddo the correct grip to hold a pencil. Some children struggle with this at first, but any practice helps. Children about to go into kindergarten should be able to write their first name. Some children may have more skills like writing the other letters of the alphabet or even full words.

2. Reading

Some children are able to read and comprehend at an early age, but generally, most children are just being introduced to the idea of reading at this age. To help prepare for reading, children can work on common sight words and phonics sounds. You can use pictures and phonics games to help introduce your little to the idea of reading skills. Teachers and parents can also reinforce the skills by reading out loud to your child every day.

3. Math

Another skill that young children should work on is number recognition. They can build basic math skills by practicing the identification of numbers and working on writing numbers. Additionally, we as parents can help children understand numbers by applying real life examples. You can use your child’s toys to practice counting, adding, and subtraction. You could even talk about money when going to the store and have children help pay for items and see different prices. Real life math examples can help children see the big picture of math.

4. Social Interactions

Social skills are also incredibly important when it comes to preparing your little one for school. Many top preschool programs, like Little Sunshine’s Playhouse, focus on helping students develop these skills and other academic proficiencies through various learning activities. Children need to learn how to express their feelings in an appropriate way. They need to be able to work with their peers and maintain positive social relationships. Educators and parents can help by using stories and roleplaying situations. Learning through play and setting good examples are key in teaching your child how to act in social situations.

5. Attention

I think we all know that young children aren’t born with a perfect attention span. In fact, it can take a lot of work to teach your child to focus. Paying attention is a big part of being a successful learner. Children must build up their attention span until they can handle sustained learning experiences. Teachers and parents can work with children to practice maintaining attention. You may consider using a reward system for top skills. Learning to follow directions by playing simple games is also helpful to give young children the tools to build up their focus and attention.

6. Speaking

In the preschool setting, it’s expected that children should be speaking in sentences and communicating effectively to get their needs met. This ability is important in indicating kindergarten readiness. Some young children may struggle with speaking. If you are worried that your child is not gaining speech skills as quickly as their peers, you should work with your community and local education agencies to decide if help is needed for speech delays or other fluency problems. Your child’s pediatrician or childcare provider should be able to connect you with these resources. Early interventions help ensure children are able to find success later.

7. Colors and Shapes

Before moving into kindergarten, your child should also have an understanding of colors and shapes. Knowing the colors and shapes helps children grasp the concept of mathematical patterns and other higher-level thinking skills down the road. The best way to help teach this skill to your toddler/preschooler is to point out colors and shapes during everyday activities. You can also use different educational toys to help him or her get a more hands-on experience with learning colors and shapes. Using food items to learn the shapes and colors is a great multi-sensory way to approach learning.

8. Motor Skills

Finally, young children should also master certain motor skills to be ready for kindergarten. Fine motor skills can be developed with concentrated activities like showing your child how to cut paper. Giving children different projects that involve cutting and pasting can help them strengthen the fine motor skills in the hands, which may make writing much easier when it’s time to go to kindergarten. Children ready for kindergarten should also get plenty of physical exercise and lots of opportunities for outdoor play to work on their physical coordination and gross motor skills.

Childcare providers and parents must take on a team approach to help children be better prepared for the demands of the kindergarten classroom. Preschools can work on helping children develop the most important early childhood skills to give them a head start on their future success in the classroom and in life.