The da Vinci School

This checklist is designed to help you prepare your child for school.  Before you begin, remember:

*You are your child's first and most important teacher.
*Each day your child is learning as you talk, play and work together.
*Readiness is a combination of age, individual growth, and experience.
*Your child will develop at his or her own rate; however, your involvement will promote
   readiness.
*Your child will learn by doing.
*Remember that play is an essential part of learning.

The checklist is designed to help you look at your child's physical, social, emotional and cognitive development. The checklist contains items that are important to your child's success in Kindergarten.  It is designed for five year olds.

Part 1: Concept Development

Does your child...
...recognize and/or name colors?                                                Yes      Not Yet
...match or sort items by color and shape?                                   Yes     Not Yet
...participate in art and music activities?                                    Yes      Not Yet
...understand concepts such as in, out, on, off, front and back?     Yes      Not Yet
...know body parts (head, should, knees, etc.)?                             Yes      Not Yet
...draw a self portrait?                                                              Yes      Not Yet
...demonstrate curiosity, persistence and exploratory behavior?   Yes      Not Yet

Tips for helping young children construct their own understanding of concepts as they interact and work with materials, people, events and ideas:

*Provide age appropriate toys which require thinking.  This includes puzzles, blocks or sorting toys.
*Save scraps, boxes and other things around the house to use  for creative experiences.
*Count objects around the house, such as plates and forks for the table, crackers for snacks.
*Play games with your child using words such as: " Put the ball on the chair" and "Get the pot from under the sink."
*Play Simon Says.  For example: Simon says, "Put your hands under your feet."  Simon says, "Put your hands over your head."

Part 2: Physical Development

Does your child...
...put puzzles together?                                                            Yes     Not Yet
...cut with scissors?                                                                  Yes     Not Yet
...try to tie their shoes?                                                            Yes     Not Yet
...enjoy outdoor play such as running, jumping and climbing?          Yes     Not yet
...hold a crayon or marker?                                                        Yes     Not Yet
...ride a tricycle?                                                                      Yes     Not Yet
...bounce a ball?                                                                        Yes     Not Yet

Tips to help children with physical development.  Children need physical skills to be successful in school.  Daily opportunities to use large and small muscles should be provided on a daily basis.

*Take your child to the park to play on outdoor equipment.
*Allow your child time to dress her/himself.
*Provide experience with scissors such as cutting pictures from a magazine.
*Provide opportunities to use crayons, markers, pencils and pens.
* Provide opportunities for your child to experiment with balls, tricycles and jump ropes.

Part 3 : Health and Safety

Does your child...
...have a set routine and schedule for: preparing for bed, personal hygiene ( brushes teeth, takes a bath etc.), and eating meals?                                                            Yes        Not Yet
...use good habits  (uses a spoon to eat, closes mouth when chewing, covers nose and mouth to sneeze, washes hands after using toilet and before eating)?                    Yes       Not Yet
...follow simple safety rules?                                                     Yes       Not Yet
...visit the doctor and dentist regularly?                                     Yes      Not  Yet
...eat healthy foods?                                                                  Yes      Not  Yet
Tips to help children be safe and healthy.  "Children must have their basic needs for health care and nutrition met if they are to be prepared to achieve in school." -Marian Wright Edelman

*Make sure your child has regular medical check ups and up-to-date shots.
*Remember trips to the dentist and regular teeth brushing.
*Provide opportunities for your child to get exercise.
*Teach your child to swim or take him/her to swimming lessons.
*Model and encourage healthy eating, and limit junk food.
*Teach your child simple safety rules ( fire, traffic, bicycle, poison).
*Keep a watchful eye on you child and remove hazards from home and outdoors.
*Practice emergency situations to use 911 and have home fire drills.
*Alert your child to the dangers of strangers and drugs.

Part 4: Number Concept Development

Does your child...
...arrange items in groups according to size, shape or color?             Yes     Not Yet
...group items that are the same?                                                     Yes     Not Yet
...arrange toys or objects in size order, big to small or small to big?  Yes    Not Yet
...use words like bigger, smaller or heaviest to show comparison?        Yes    Not Yet
...compare the size of groups of toys or items?                                  Yes    Not Yet
...correctly count four to ten objects?                                              Yes    Not Yet
...show an understanding of the passing of time?                                 Yes    Not Yet

Tips for developing number concepts.  The development of number concepts -- classifying, ordering, counting and tiime and space relationships- is directly related to children's ability to perform mathematical tasks throughout their school years and the rest of their lives.  It is important to help children feel confident in dealing with number tasks.

*Let your child set the table ( "How many forks do we need? "How many chairs?").
*Provide opportunities to put away groceries.
*Provide opportunities to compare objects.
*Set up a routine or sequence for personal care.
*Provide objects or toys for play.

Part 5: Language
Does your child...
...talk in sentences?                                                                               Yes     Not Yet
...follow through when you give her/him one or two directions?                 Yes     Not Yet
...use descriptive language? ("That's a tall building with round windows.")  Yes    Not Yet
...use conversational sentences?                Yes    Not Yet
...sing and/or recite nursery rhymes?             Yes    Not Yet
...use sentences that include two or more separate ideas?                           Yes    Not Yet
...pretend, create and make up songs and stories?       Yes     Not Yet
...talk about everyday experiences?                        Yes     Not Yet
...ask questions about how things work in the world around him/her?           Yes     Not Yet
...express his/her ideas so that others can understand?                        Yes     Not Yet
...tell or retell  stories?                Yes     Not Yet
 

Tips for helping with the development of language abilities-  listening, speaking, reading, writing- is critical to children's success throughout their school years and the rest of their lives.  It is tied to everything children learn or do in school.  Parents can support the development of language abilities by talking with and listening to children as they share their ideas and experiences.

*Talk with your child about what interests him or her.
*Use questions which have more than one answer such as: "What do you think?"  "How would you feel?"
*Play rhyming games.
*Let your child know what he/she says is important.  You do this by listening to your child.
*Get down at eye level and show your interest.
*Encourage other members of the family to listen.
*Encourage your child to develop and share ideas by asking questions and offering suggestions.

Part 6: Reading
Does your child...
...enjoy getting a book as a present?                                                Yes     Not Yet
...have many books of his/her own and a special place to keep them?    Yes     Not Yet
...recognize his/her first name in print?                                             Yes     Not Yet
...look at books or pictures on his/her own?                                        Yes     Not Yet
...read stories or verses to you? ( shares verses or stories read, reads   or pretends to read books)                           Yes     Not Yet
...try to read in everyday situations? ( street signs, cereal boxes, etc..) Yes    Not Yet
...try to read along with you on favorite parts of the story or sentence that are repeated over and over again?         Yes    Not Yet
...see you reading?                          Yes    Not Yet
...know any nursery rhymes by heart?                 Yes   Not Yet
...pretend to read books by reading the pictures?       Yes   Not Yet

Tips for helping children with reading.  Reading a book to children is an enjoyable and interesting experience.  It should be part of the daily family routine.
It is the most important way in which parents can help children learn to read.

*Provide a wide variety of books for your child, including nursery rhymes and fairy tales.
*Obtain a library card for your child.
*Provide a special place for your child to keep his/her books.
*Give your child books as presents.
*Make reading a part of your daily routine.
*Provide a wide variety of reading materials (magazines, newspapers etc.).
*Accept your child's "pretend reading."
*Point out print in the environment (signs, cereal boxes, restaurants).
*Read your child's favorite stories over and over again.
*Allow your child to select the story that he/she would like to hear.
*Sing familiar songs and stories (Old MacDonald, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, etc.).
 

Part 7: Writing
Does your child...
...try to write, scribble or draw?                                                   Yes     Not Yet
...have a collection of paper, pencils, crayons?                                 Yes     Not Yet
...like to receive notes from you or others?                                      Yes     Not Yet
...ask you to write words or notes to people?                                    Yes     Not Yet
...use chalk or magnetic letters?                                                       Yes    Not Yet
...attempt to write his/her first name?                    Yes   Not Yet
...attempt to write his/her last name?                 Yes   Not Yet
...attempt to invent his/her own spelling while
   writing (scribbling sentences)?                           Yes   Not Yet
...see you writing (notes, recipes, lists, letters, reminders)?                    Yes   Not Yet

Tips for writing with your child.  To become skilled, lifelong writers, children need encouragement and support as they begin the writing process.  They'll play at
writing like they play at reading.  Ask them to read what they've written.  Children go through various stages of writing development.  These stages include scribbling,
drawing pictures and pretend writing.

*Provide your child with materials (crayons, pencils, paper) and a space for writing.
*Focus on what your child can do.
*Have a place to display your child's writing efforts.
*Watch your child as he/she writes.
*Answer your child's questions about writing.
*Accept your child's trial and error (scribbles, pictures, alphabet soup).
*Make signs to label objects in your child's room or other rooms in the house.
*Let your child see you write.
*Encourage your child to read his/her writing to you.
*Provide magnetic letters for your child to practice forming his/her name and words he/she
  wants to know.
*Encourage your child to invent his/her own spelling for words ( shopping lists, reminder notes,
  messages, signs, stories).
Special Note:
               Remember to respond to the message and content of what your child is writing about, not how it looks on the surface.  Writing is not just copying.  By providing opportunities to write as part of your daily family routine, you will keep your child interested and excited about writing.

Part 8: Reading To Your Child
Tips on reading to your child.  It is important to read to your child every day.

BEFORE reading a story:
*Introduce the book, discussing the cover, title, author and illustrator.
*Look at the pictures to discover what the story is about.
*Discuss special words or new words that are in the story.
*Talk about places, people and things in the story with which your child is familiar.
*Remember to keep the introduction simple and quick.
 

DURING the story reading:
*Allow time for your child to look at and talk about the pictures.
*Talk to your child about the characters and story events.
*Ask questions: What do you think is happening?  How would you feel if that happened?
  What might happen next? (prediction) Would you ever do that?  Did you think that would happen?
*Allow your child to ask questions as you read and answer his/her questions.
*Accept and be positive about your child's responses to your questions.

AFTER the story reading:
*Go back to the beginning and have your child turn the pages and share comments or questions.
*Have your child retell the story to you.
*Compare the story situations to your child's experiences.  Could you do that?  Has that ever happened to you?  Did we ever do that?

Part 9: Social & Emotional Development
Does your child...
...use words to solve problems when angry or frustrated?                        Yes      Not Yet
...use words such as "please", "thank you" and "excuse me"?                     Yes     Not Yet
...attempt new tasks knowing it's okay to make a mistake?                        Yes     Not Yet
...do things for him/herself (dress self, put toys away, take care of own toilet needs)?                                               Yes    Not  Yet
...have success in taking turns and sharing?                                               Yes    Not Yet
...interact appropriately with peers and have friends?                               Yes    Not Yet
...ask for help when necessary?                                 Yes    Not Yet
...stay with an activity to completion (finish a picture, build something)?     Yes    Not Yet
...follow through when you give directions?                Yes    Not Yet
...comply with rules, limits and routines?                                                    Yes    Not Yet
...interact appropriately with adults?                  Yes    Not Yet
...respect the rights, property and feelings of others?                                Yes    Not Yet

Children must be socially ready for school.  Parents can help their children get ready for school by giving them the opportunity to be part of a group of children, whether in a playground or a preschool classroom.  Children need to know how to take turns, make compromises, approach familiar children, obey those in authority ( principals and teachers) and generally be nice to others.  Here are some tips for parents:

*Remember that discipline is teaching your child how to behave rather than punishing him/her for misbehavior.
*Remember to always love your child and let him/her know it's the misbehavior you dislike.
*Have high, yet realistic, expectations for your child.  Understand your child's limits.
*Let your child know exactly what is expected.
*Treat your child and others with respect.
*Be positive through the use of praise and encouragement.  Accept your child's honest efforts without criticism.
*Let you child know what he/she should do, as well as what he/she should not do.
*Show your love to your child frequently.
*Give hugs and smiles, and spend happy times together.
*Help your child find words to describe feelings.
*Let your child know all feelings are okay.
*Tell your child when he/she does things right.
*Set the tone that learning is good, fun and important.
*Show your child how to be a friend.
*Model the use of words such as please, thank you and excuse me.
*Describe ways your child can solve disagreements with others.

         There is no one quality or skill that children need to do well in Kindergarten, a combination of factors contribute to school success.  These include physical well being, social and emotional maturity, language skills, an ability to solve problems and think creatively and a general knowledge about the world.  School success also depends upon the "match" between children's skills and knowledge and the expectations of the school.  At the da Vinci School, our goal is for every child to feel successful.  By taking advantage of the *Tips* given to you in this checklist, you will be able to help your child develop skills that will encourage them to be life long learners.  KINDERGARTEN is a significant step on the path of education.        A little patience and encouragement on your part can make this step  a rewarding and successful time for your child.

Created by: Melissa L. Griffin
Adapted by: Janet Brehm