If your child turns 5 on or before August 1st, he or she is eligible for kindergarten! Greenville City Schools is registering students for kindergarten for the 2016-17 school year on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, April 5th, 6th and 7th from 1:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. at Memorial Hall. You will need to bring an official birth certificate, immunization records, proof of residency, and a photo ID. Your child does not need to be with you for registration. Once you have your child registered, you will be given a day and time for kindergarten screening that will take place in May. Your child will be screened by a speech therapist, a nurse, and a teacher. Your child will be asked to identify letters, count objects, write their name, demonstrate gross motor skills, and have the opportunity to get on a bus.
We are excited for you and your child as you prepare for the transition into kindergarten! This can be a very exciting and yet anxious time for you and your child. We have nine wonderful kindergarten teachers at Woodland Primary that will teach your child many things. It is amazing how much your kindergartener will learn and grow. By the end of their kindergarten year, your child is expected to know all the letter sounds, read beginner leveled books, read and write 35 sight words, write narratives, read informational and how-to books, count to 100, decompose numbers, simple addition and subtraction, and the list goes on.
Things your child should already know before entering kindergarten include how to write their first name, talks in sentences, identify some of the letters in the alphabet, count objects to 10, properly hold a pencil and scissors, recognize their first name in print, and attend to an activity for 10 minutes.
Preparing your child for school should be fun for the both of you! Children will enjoy the interaction, attention and spending time with you. The single most important thing you can do with your child is READ! Reading to your child during this young developmental stage is so very important and the time together in conversation will be forever cherished by your child. Reading is the foundation skill for all learning. Read, read, read and read some more, and then talk about what you read. Have conversations with your child. Listen to your child as he or she retells stories and makes observations about the world.
Talking to your child, asking questions and listening to their answers is a great way to develop their language skills. Developing language skills will prepare your child for reading and writing. Your child should be able to carry on a conversation, ask questions and listen to answers, retell stories and talk about past experiences, and recognize rhymes. To help your child develop these skills, talk, talk and talk some more with your child; chat about your day, share something funny, ask questions. Retelling nursery rhymes, finger plays, and making up stories will help your child develop the necessary language skills they need to be successful in school.
Playing games such as Uno, Candy Land, and Chutes and Ladders is a fun and interactive way to learn about numbers and counting. Count steps, jumps, M&M’s, how long it takes to run across the room, how many steps from the car to the house etc. Make learning fun! Drawing family portraits, writing family members names, and playing games are great ways to interact with your child. This will help them learn letters, numbers, and storytelling along the way.
Of course there is more than reading and arithmetic to being successful in school. Physical development, fine-motor and gross motor skills, self-help skill, social and emotional skills along with a healthy diet and sleep patterns are very important as well. To do well in school, children need to be supported and nurtured in all areas of development. Establishing consistent routines of going to bed and waking up at the same time every day and doing the same activities before bed helps the child know what to expect and prepares them for the kindergarten schedule. So, encouraging outdoor play, coloring and drawing with your child, eating balanced meals and spending quality time with your child will naturally prepare them for school.
Don’t worry if your child does not yet know all of their letters, counts to 100, or ties their shoes etc., that is ok. That is where we can help. We will teach them that and much, much more, such as how to write letters and put letter sounds together to make words. What we can’t provide for them is the foundation for literacy that is developed long before a child enters school. You are your child’s first teacher; you are also a partner in their education-both in the classroom and at home. Parent involvement in a child’s education is a major factor in determining success in school. We look forward in being part of your child’s educational team. The Wave starts here.