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Help them develop independence at home - Encourage your child to do things for themselves. From putting on their own shoes, to serving their own meals using large serving spoons that you provide in the finished dishes, independence will help your child be ready when kindergarten time comes around.

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Focus on self-help skills -

Your child should be somewhat cognizant of their bodies in terms of being able to blow their nose or wipe their faces without having to ask for assistance from an adult.

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Teach responsibility -

Slowly but surely, start giving responsibilities to your child. Have them unload the dishwasher or be in charge of filling the water bottles before a walk. Simple tasks like these teach your child to follow through on their responsibilities.

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Read aloud to your child -

Consider having your child sign up for a free library card. Take them to the library to check out books, and be sure to read to them every day. A variety of books or magazines ranging in difficulty should be consumed by your child to help in their development.

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Engage in meaningful literacy activities -

Encourage your child to help with to-do list items involving writing and reading. For example, when you write thank you notes, or a shopping list, or anything similar, have them join you so they start recognizing letters and developing communication skills.

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Acknowledge their feelings -

Lend a listening ear to your child and allow space for them to express their feelings about starting kindergarten. They can range from being nervous to being super excited. Practicing communicating feelings is a healthy skill to have.

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Develop social skills - It’s important to not only speak with your child yourself, but to also help teach them about communication with others. Encourage your child to be friendly with kids their age and to start small conversations. This will help them be ready for long school days spent around others.

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Phase out nap time -

As they get older and become school age, it’s important to teach kids and train their bodies and minds to not rely on that extra nap time.

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Visit the class - Visiting the actual school and classroom, and meeting the teacher, will help provide a sense of normalcy for your child. This can help them feel more confident and comfortable for their next phase in life and the first day of kindergarten.

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Establish a bedtime routine - Establishing a bedtime routine is not only a good idea so that your child has enough rest, but also so that they learn structure and practice having wellness routines in place.

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Create and follow a morning routine - In the mornings, things will likely be hectic, especially in the beginning as your child gets used to waking early and getting ready for school. It’s important to teach them how to develop a morning routine and why following one is helpful to kick-start an amazing day.

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Get school supplies - On the logistics side of things, it's important you and your child go shopping for school supplies. Usually the teacher will provide a list of necessary items. Take your child with you and give them the independence and autonomy to pick out some of their school supplies.

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Skills to master -

There are skills that a child must master before kindergarten begins. They are broken into the following categories: language skills, self-care skills, reading readiness, math skills, fine motor skills, and gross motor skills.

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Language skills: articulate needs and desires - A kindergarten-ready child needs to be able to articulate their needs and desires at a basic level. If they need water, are hungry, or need to use the bathroom, the child needs to be able to say so.

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Converse in complete sentences - Your child has likely heard you and older people converse in complete sentences, but for whatever reason they may not think that they need to do so also. Be sure your child is talking in full, logical sentences.

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Follow conversations - Your child should be able to, more or less, follow and understand conversations. This is inclusive of conversations they’re having as well as listening to a conversation between two others.

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Discuss past events - This skill means a child is cognizant of time and conjugating verbs. It shows a mastery of many skills needed for the child to progress and to succeed.

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Self-care skills: dress independently - Dressing independently teaches kids autonomy and confidence. It’s also a motor skill to be able to button or zip clothes.

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Use the bathroom solo - This impactful life change gives kids power and knowledge of their own bodies and related needs. Kids need to know when to ask and speak up specifically related to using the bathroom.

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Choose appropriate clothing for the weather - It’s important for a child to be aware of their surroundings, namely in terms of the weather. They should be able to know how to dress seasonally appropriate for the most part. Learning this life skill is important in general.

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Reading readiness skills: identify most alphabet letters - Children who are ready for kindergarten should be able to at least identify most letters. Having this skill will set them up for success as they enter school.

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Recognize rhyming words - Being able to recognize rhyming words may seem like a silly requirement, but it can speak to a child’s cognitive and language abilities as well as listening and comprehension skills.

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Math skills: count objects up to 20 -

Math and counting are very important for young children and especially as they age. A good benchmark is to have them count objects up to 20, going one-by-one and focusing also on the pronunciation of the numbers and the order in which they appear.

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Understand basic addition and subtraction -

Very basic addition and subtraction can be helpful, as this lays the groundwork for a child to excel in school. While they likely won't enter the classroom having to add large sums, the sooner they master this skill, the better for their development.

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Memorize their personal information - Kids should, for both safety and memory recall, be able to memorize and recite their full name, phone number, and address. Other information can be included as well, but at a minimum the aforementioned are key.

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Fine motor skills -

Fine motor skills are important. They include things like being able to hold a pencil correctly, use scissors, eat with silverware, draw basic shapes, and write their own name.

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Gross motor skills -

Gross motor skills include skills such as being able to hop on one foot, jump with both feet, walk in a straight line, tiptoe, and other such actions. They’re important as kids grow and develop, to ensure they’re maturing accordingly from a physical and even mental perspective.

Sources: (Scholastic) (NAEYC) 

See also: Teaching kids good manners—politeness in everyday life

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