Guest Reader

We had a very special guest today..... a student from last year's Pre-K class came to read to my class! I was so proud that in a few short months in kindergarten she's learned to read an entire book with enough fluency to hold the attention of squirmy 4 and 5 year olds for an entire book. She choose the book Tiptoe Into Kindergarten by Jacqueline Rogers. (Appropriate, too!)

It was such a special experience for me to have her share her new skills ~ I was beaming with pride!

Thank you, Courtney, for coming to read to us!

What do you teach as Kindergarten Readiness Skills?

As a Pre-K educator, part of my job description includes helping students acquire the self help skills they need to be successful in a larger elementary school setting. I have a Kindergarten Skills Club that meets regularly, usually on the playground for the first few minutes of recess. We practice skills like putting on jackets, zipping up, shoe tying, and "inside-outing" a coat (the kiddos' term, not mine).
Later in the year, we also learn our address, phone number, parents first and last name ----yes, they do have names OTHER than "Mommy" and "Daddy"! When we do this one, parents are always surprised that their children DON'T know their parents' first and last name. This can be very important information for a preschooler to know in an emergency! There are lots of other safety skills we practice along the way, such as looking both ways to cross a street.
I am looking to expand my club topics and would love any ideas you have to share. What do you do to get your students ready for kindergarten?