Getting ready for Kindergarten! {freebie included!}

I am so sorry I have been away so long! 

My kids, classroom, husband, activities... have been really keeping me busy this year!  In my last post I mentioned I wanted to really spend more time with my family and I have to say I have truly been doing just that!  I love spending time with my two beautiful children and I think they are really loving the extra attention! Time flies and I am trying to soak it all up before they fly away (I have a high school freshman and it seems like these years are flying away!) 

Speaking of flying away.... 

Has this school year been flying by for you?  It has for me! I can not believe January is half over! It won't be long and my school will be discussing preregistration for Kindergarten for next year! 

With that in mind, I recently had a friend ask what her child needed to know to be ready for Kindergarten in the Fall, (recently I saw this list  and passed it on to my friend... It has some great suggestions).

I am no expert, but I personally think a child needs to know their first and last name and be able to say it if asked. Every year I have at least one child that may know their first name, but not their last name, (It would also be great if they could write their first name).

I also suggest they work on fine motor skills! My school has a list that I am sharing with you, {click here to grab this freebie}.

Some more suggestions to help with fine motor skills are:
* Grab a pipe cleaner and have your child make a bracelet by adding fruit loops (and they can learn about patterning while they add the colors)
* Use clothes pins and have your child open it and clip some papers together or put that clip on their favorite snack bag or finding letters in a magazine. (this is great to work their little finger and hand muscles!)
* Grab a spray bottle and have your child spray water on the plants outside! 
* Grab some play dough or clay and roll it out to make letters, numbers and shapes (they could even roll it out into a strip and cut it to work on their cutting skills)

I have a play dough station in my classroom and my students LOVE it!   If you would like some play dough mats for your classroom, my packet, I Can Read the Alphabet, has some play dough mats included in the packet.   But, right now, Educents has included my packet in a bundle! You can purchase it, and  many other awesome products, at a reduced price!  I just got mine and am so excited about using it!  

 

 

font:  Cara Carroll polka dot background: Ashley Hughes  frame: The Moffatt Girls

Be sure to grab this freebie! I will keep it free on my blog for a while, but will eventually put it in my TpT store!  If you love it, please leave me a note!