welcome to kindergarten!!
DESCRIPTION
Power point presentation questions about readiness for kindergarten may be directed to Jaime Curley, School Psychologist and Laurie Richardson, School Adjustment Counselor.TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to Welcome to Kindergarten at Station Kindergarten at Station
Avenue Elementary Avenue Elementary School!School!
Welcome to Welcome to Kindergarten at Station Kindergarten at Station
Avenue Elementary Avenue Elementary School!School!
Laurie Richardson, Home-School CounselorLaurie Richardson, Home-School Counselor&&
Jaime Curley, School PsychologistJaime Curley, School Psychologist
Signals that a child is ready for school…
• Is able to sit and attend• Complies with directions• Is able to work independently and
without constant prompting• Cooperates in a group
Signals that a child is ready for school… (cont.)
• Has reasonably secure pencil grasp and fine motor control
• Shows interest in print• Is able to delay gratification• Separates from parent with
relative ease
Signals of An Overplaced Child
• After school exhaustion• Often daydreaming in school• Often complains of stomach aches,
headaches (especially Sunday night)• Prefers to play with younger children• Is disorganized
Signals of An Overplaced Child
• Is easily distracted• Is overly anxious, nervous, tense,
worries a great deal• Has negative attitudes in regard to
school• Is primarily a follower
Signals of An Overplaced ChildDON’T LOOK AT ISOLATED CHARACTERISTICS.
LOOK AT CLUSTERS OF BEHAVIOR.
AN IMMATURE CHILD LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE AN ADHD OR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD.
TRY TO AVOID ‘DIAGNOSIS’ BEFORE GRADE 2 OR 3.
The Five-Year-OldMotor Skills
• Runs lightly on toes• Walks forward, sideways on balance beam• Can hop for 6 feet, 6 inches• Skips, alternating feet• Jumps rope• Skates• Cuts out simple shapes
Motor Skills (cont.)
• Copies triangles• Traces diamond• Copies or writes first name• Prints numerals 1 to 5, and
perhaps to 10• Colors within lines• Holds pencil properly
Motor Skills (cont.)
• Hand dominance usually established
• Pastes and glues appropriately• Copies model of square made with
pegs• Awareness of own right and left
sides emerging
The Five-Year-OldCommunication Skills
• Comprehends quantitative adjectives, such as pair, few, many
• Comprehends verb agreement; is and are
• Occasional grammar errors still noted• Still learning subject-verb agreement
and irregular past tense verbs• Language is essentially complete in
structure and form, with correct usage of all parts of speech
Communication Skills (cont.)
• Can take appropriate turns in a conversation
• Communicates well with family, friends, or strangers
• Reads by way of pictures• Answers questions directly• Relates fanciful tales in own words
The Five-Year-OldCognitive Skills
• Retells story from picture book with reasonable accuracy
• May name some letters and numerals• Counts 10 objects• Sorts objects by size, color, shape• Uses classroom equipment, such as
scissors, meaningfully and purposefully
Cognitive Skills (cont.)
• Begins to relate clock time to daily schedule
• Attention span increases noticeably; is less distractible
• Learns through adult instruction as well as through exploration
• Concepts of function improve, as well as understanding of why things happen
Cognitive Skills (cont.)
• Completes a puzzle of a person divided into 6 parts
• Imitates 2-step triangle fold• Completes sequential block patterns,
alternating two blocks of one color with one block of another color
• Matches and sorts with paper and pencil, marking the one that does not belong
The Five-Year-OldPersonal-Social Skills
• Dresses self completely, ties bow• Crosses street safely• Makes simple sandwiches• Can prepare bowl of cereal• Brushes teeth independently, can
apply paste• Waters plants
Personal-Social Skills (cont.)
• Can make simple purchases• Can assist in making bed, setting
table, sweeping• Chooses own friends, may show
preference for playmates of the same gender and age
• Plays simple table games
Personal-Social Skills (cont.)
• Plays competitive games and enjoys sports that require group participation
• May be afraid of dogs, of the dark, that mother will not return
• Self-centered, with own interests and actions taking precedence
• Enjoys make-believe play
When working on changing behaviors,
remember…1. Look at the situation. Identify the behaviors
you like, dislike, and find intolerable.2. Praise what you like.3. Ignore what you dislike while you wait for a
behavior you can praise.4. To get your child to start a desired behavior:
Give an invitation to cooperate– a choice, announcement, or when/then deal.
Changing behaviors (cont.)
5. Introduce a better behavior chart.a. select behaviors (easy and challenging ones) and rewards.b. observe your childc. design the chartd. praise and reward immediately, ignore non-compliancee. DO NOT make unrealistic threats
Changing behaviors (cont.)
6. To get your child to stop a behavior:Give a command and/or a choice
7. If she/he does not stop;Give a warning of an appropriate consequence
8. If she/he does not stop the behavior:FOLLOW THROUGH with that
consequence
Changing behaviors (cont.)
9. Be consistent. Every time she repeats the behavior, give the consequence.
10. Use a family meeting:a. Define a problem and think of possible solutions.b. Set up a meeting.C. Maintaining a calm tone, state the problem clearly, and ask for ideas.
Changing behaviors (cont.)
d. Come to an agreement through compromise and negotiation.e. Assess the situation in a follow-up meeting.
11. Praise your child’s success.