Your Kindergartener
Kindergarten has arrived, and your child is on her way!
Kindergarten is a time of transition and growth, from backpacks to workbooks to school buses and more. Your child is getting the hang of school, you’re getting the hang of her going to school and change is in the air.
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She is hearing books read aloud, and maybe even reading a bit on her own. She is writing letters, words and perhaps simple sentences. She is adding and subtracting, measuring and mapping. Her brain is a sponge, and she is soaking it all up.
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But kindergarten isn’t all about textbook learning either. She is painting, singing, dancing and acting, growing the gift of her imagination one creative activity at a time.
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She is developing socially and emotionally, too. She’s learning to label her feelings, apologize and care for others. Kindergarten is underway, and your child is a student in the making.
Outside of the kindergarten classroom, what should you see in before and after school care and other care programs? Learn more on the pages to follow!
Resources for Your Kindergartener
Your Kindergartener
Creative Arts
Will he be the next Picasso, Kehinde Wiley or Monet? Does he sing in the shower, dance in the rain or repeat lines from his favorite cartoon? In kindergarten, he is exploring creativity in music, theater, dance and visual arts, appreciating beauty that already exists and creating masterpieces of his own.
Your Kindergartener
Social Emotional
He respects himself and others and plays with friends. He listens to directions and focuses on small projects for short periods of time. He is confident. He shares toys and how he feels.
Your Kindergartener
Math
She might be doing both! While you may not see it, your child is learning what will become data analysis, measurement, geometry and, yes, even algebra! She is calculating at school and at home, especially when you inspire her with questions. She is growing, and so are the numbers she’s working with!
Your Kindergartener
Play & Learning
Your kindergartener’s ability to focus, remember, resist temptations and switch gears is becoming more important than ever. He is growing executive functioning and self-regulation skills through games, activities and schoolwork, setting himself up for success later in life.
Your Kindergartener
Science
As the world spins around her, your child is learning about it. She is pushing and pulling objects to study their motion. She’s keeping cool while studying the sun. She’s defining problems and devising solutions. She is engaging in STEM.
Your Kindergartener
Social Studies
Your child is traveling through time, on maps and around the world, all from his kindergarten classroom. From learning about people of the past or across the globe, he is understanding that difference is beautiful, people are people and he’s a little person too, growing in community each day.
Your Kindergartener
Physical Health & Growth
Before starting kindergarten, you may have noticed that she went to the restroom, ate and got dressed on her own. She knew about personal space and safety. She held writing tools appropriately and could create letters, shapes, symbols and maybe even words on her own.
Your Kindergartener
English & Language Arts
Your child is ready to tackle short words, break down harder words into smaller pieces and answer questions about what he read. He can rhyme all the time, write simple sentences and craft his own story, too.
Kindergarten Readiness
For more information on kindergarten readiness, the transition to kindergarten and more, check out these resources from the Indiana Department of Education:
