Andrew Smith

ECE 205
Instructor Reitman
August 21, 2014
Children entering kindergarten will not all be at the same developmental level, and even when some are
at the same level in one area, does not mean they will be at the same level for all developmental levels.
Children typically enter kindergarten at 5 or 6 years of age, and at this time, there are many developmental
changes occurring. As for me, I entered kindergarten at 5, but I wish I had started the next year because I
think that contributed to my poor school experience. However, some children are more than ready and do
great entering kindergarten at 5. It all depends on the child because all children develop differently.
At 6 years old, the cognitive development should be so that the child can reflect on their own thoughts
and develop ideas, (Groark, McCarthy, & Kirk, Ch. 8, P. 2, Par. 3). as well as strengthen their problem-
solving skills, increase their attention spans, develop an interest in reading more, and rapidly increase their
vocabulary. Their communication development should be to the point where they can remember simple
instructions and information, can easily be understood, can tell a story in a logical progression of events,
and can stay on topic in a discussion. They should also be able to match spoken words to words in a book,
and print clearly when writing.
As for their social-emotional development of children entering kindergarten, The social-emotional
domain of development at this age begins to take major leaps toward approximating more adolescent-like
feelings, (Groark, McCarthy, & Kirk, Ch. 8, P. 13, Par. 1). At this time the child is building their sense of
self-efficacy, creating their self-concepts, and developing their own sense of morality and values. Self-help
skill development has also increased to the point where they can dress themselves, use the restroom by
themselves, and feed themselves, all with little to no assistance. However, as our book mentions, they are
developing their independence, so they need a limited number of suitable options from which to choose.
Making choices in self-help areas can give children at this age a sense of control over what they do and a
sense of responsibility to do the right thing, (Groark, McCarthy, & Kirk, Ch. 8, P. 17, Par. 2).

Before entering kindergarten, a child
should be at a certain point developmentally
so that they will be able to succeed in school.
If they are unable to do many of the things
expected of a child in kindergarten, then
issues may develop which could follow them
throughout their school years if interventions
are not sought and implemented.
One problem starting kindergarten early
is that the child may not be able to follow
along with the rest of the class, and they may
feel like a failure and that they dont belong.
Some children have not developed enough in
the areas of cognitive, social-emotional,
language, and other areas of development
critical to school success. If this is the case,
which it was in mine, I would wait until the
next school year to enter the child in
kindergarten.
Following are two lists of milestones that
should be met by the time the child enters
kindergarten.
Before children enter kindergarten they should reach the following
academic milestones:
speaks clearly
recognizes rhyming sounds
recognizes size and position (big, small, up, down, over, under)
manipulates buttons and zippers on his belongings
traces and copies basic shapes
holds conversations using complete sentences (five or six words)
identifies some letter sounds
identifies letters of the alphabet
sorts objects by color, size and shape
recognizes groups of up to five objects
counts and recognizes numbers up to 10
recognizes his first and last name
writes his first name
uses crayons, paint, paste, scissors, pencils and clay appropriately
draws rather than scribbles
(Stewart, 2008, Par. 2)
Oral directions of several steps or more can be followed, as well as given
Time holds meaning (Tomorrow we will visit Grandma.)
Remembers stories and tells more complicated stories
Can speak most sounds clearly (except for perhaps s, l, r, ch, sh, or th)
Understands the idea of rhyming and can name rhyming words
Can name most, if not all, of the letters and numbers up to 20
Should be asking questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why?
Uses verb tenses correctly most of the time (walked to the park yesterday)
Uses possessive forms of nouns (Mommys purse)
Uses adjectives to appropriately describe things (colors, sizes, shapes, etc.)
Fine motor skills are growing so that holding pencils and crayons is easier
Shows interest in written materials (reads books by looking at pictures and begins to
recognize simple words such as his own name)
(O, 2013, Par. 5)

There are many activities that work towards motor development, and we should use
activities that target both fine and gross motor development. It is important that a child is ready
to enter school when they start. With these suggested activities parents can target both fine and
gross motor skills.
Fine Motor Skills: Drawing or practicing writing, arts and crafts, sculpting with clay,
making stuff with playdough, and legos or blocks.
Gross Motor Skills: Singing hokey-pokey and using the matching gestures, or other songs
with gestures, playing at the park or on playground equipment, and sports.
There are many games and activities that will help cognitive development. Verbal games,
such as guessing games, or even asking them to remember what they had for lunch or dinner the
previous day both help contribute to cognitive development. Activities such as twenty questions,
sorting objects by category (color, shape, etc.), and even legos or building with popsicle sticks
also contribute to cognitive development. A number of board games can also help, such as
memory, connect four, tic-tac-toe, uno, or guess who (RiddleJ, 2007). Parents can use a number
of these games and activities to help guide their childs cognitive development.
One of the easiest activities for communication development is to talk with your child. The
more they hear and the more they speak, the stronger their communication skills with become.
Reading to a child is important and has a lot of influence over language and communication
development. The more words a child hears, the larger their vocabulary will become. Another
thing parents should do is to [b]e a good language model for your child. Talk in simple,
complete sentences. Talk about your actions and feelings. Example: "I am putting the meat in the
oven. Now I will take out the potatoes and begin to peel them." Also, talk about what the child is
experiencing. Example: You are eating a big bowl of hot cereal for breakfast. After breakfast,
you will go upstairs and get dressed. (Effingham Community Schools, n.d., Par. 22). Parents
should also encourage their children to speak and write often because the more practice they
have, the better their skills will become.

Children must develop a need to communicate through language. Through the use of
language, the child learns that he or she can manipulate his or her environment (saying "water"
results in the child being given a glass of water), (Effingham Community Schools, n.d., Par.
20). Language and communication development go hand in hand, and activities that contribute
to one will often contribute to the other. Reading Rockets website offers some good tips.
Take advantage of daily activities. For example, while in the kitchen, encourage your child to
name the utensils needed. Discuss the foods on the menu, their color, texture, and taste. Where
does the food come from? Which foods do you like? Which do you dislike? Who will clean up?
Emphasize the use of prepositions by asking him or her to put the napkin on the table, in your
lap, or under the spoon. Identify who the napkin belongs to: "It is my napkin." "It is Daddy's."
"It is John's.
While shopping for groceries, discuss what you will buy, how many you need, and what you
will make. Discuss the size (large or small), shape (long, round, square), and weight (heavy or
light) of the packages.
(American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2008, Sec. 3)

Kindergartner Activities & Games
These activities from PBS Kids help kindergartners learn
letters, sounds, and words. Many offer interactive and
printable activities that will help children practice their
writing and learn to recognize letters. All of them feature
the PBS Kids TV characters your child loves.


Language Development Activities
These language development activities will create fun and learning during
play time. Develop those important pre-reading, reading and language skills
with these activities.

Developmental Activities
These are suggested activities for parents to do with their children to help
them get ready for kindergarten.

Research shows the link between social and emotional skills and
school success is so strong, it is a greater predictor of childrens academic
performance in the first grade than their familial background and their
cognitive abilities, (Shrier, 2014, Par. 5).
Key social and emotional skills identified for school success:
Getting along with others (parents, teachers and peers)
Following directions
Identifying and regulating ones emotions and behavior
Thinking of appropriate solutions to conflict
Persisting on task
Engaging in social conversation and cooperative play
Correctly interpreting others behavior and emotions
Feeling good about oneself and others.
(Shrier, 2014)

5 Social Skills That Are Important for Kindergarten
Understands the difference between right and wrong and recognizes
and respects authority figures.
Can communicate needs and feelings verbally in a socially
appropriate manner and understands/recognizes that other people
have feelings.
Can play independently or in a small group without needing to be
constantly supervised.
Is beginning to take turns, share, converse and play with other
children without needing to be reminded and uses polite language.
Likes to make decisions for himself, explores new things and take
some (safe) risks.
(Morin, n.d.)

Social & Emotional Development Activities
from pbs.org for parents and teachers
There are many activities that parents and/or
caregivers can do to encourage social-emotional
development in children getting ready to enter
kindergarten. Simon says is a good game for
getting children to practice following directions.
Signing the child up for a summer camp or other
peer activity would help them to meet and interact
with more children, as well as make new
friendships. Role-playing is also a good way to
develop social-emotional skills because it helps
the child to see things from someone elses
perspective, even if its just make believe. One
more thing parents can do is to play with their
child.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2008). Activities to encourage speech and language development. Retrieved from
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/26632
Effingham Community Schools. (n.d.). Learning activities to prepare your child for a successful kindergarten year. Retrieved August 21, 2014,
from http://www.effingham.k12.il.us/ourschools/ edgewoodelementary/preparingforkindergarten/
Groark, C., McCarthy, S. & Kirk, A. (2014). Early child development: From theory to practice. Bridgepoint Education: San Diego, CA.
Morin, A. (n.d.). Social development skills for kindergarteners. Retrieved from
http://childparenting.about.com/od/schoollearning/a/important-social-skills-kindergarten.htm
O, C. (2013, August 12). Developmental milestones: Is my child ready for kindergarten? Retrieved from
http://www.speechbuddy.com/blog/language-development/ developmental-milestones-is-my-child-ready-for-kindergarten/
RiddleJ. (2007, November 29). Cognitive development activities for 3 to 5 year olds. Retrieved from
http://littlechildren.wordpress.com/2007/11/29/ cognitive-development-activities-for-3-to-5-year-olds/
Shrier, C. (2014, May 2). Kindergarten readiness: Social and emotional development. Retrieved from
http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/kindergarten_readiness_social_and_emotional_development
Stewart, L. K. (2008, March 8). Is your child ready for kindergarten? Retrieved from https://suite.io/charlina-stewart/n6b2qm