I am a Library Media Specialist. I have Kindergarten through 5th grade. I have students who come to Kindergarten knowing how to read. I have students who come to Kindergarten without knowledge of colors, letters, or numbers. What do you think about a list of things they should all know? We could give it to pre-school parents. What would you put on the list? What would you leave out? I'm thinking of making a website about it and would like to know your thoughts. Thank you, Tonna

I also think they should know basic shapes. Circles, squares, triangles and ect...

The schools in my area do have a list, but I am not sure what is on it. They do an assessmet on the day of kinder registration.

With all the stuff most kids know it really surprises me that there are those who don't 'know it all' yet when they come to kindergarten.

Of course, those who have been in preK are so much better prepared than those who have not had that opportunity.

Just from what I've seen with my bunch, I've often felt that going by age &/or how long they've been in school is not the best criteria for placement of kids in a class. I know one of mine was really past the majority of the first several months of a particular grade, but not yet advanced enough to skip the entire grade. If there had been a 1/2 grade step up available it would have been ideal for him.

This same concept fits in with your 'what kids need to know before they start kindergarten'. Perhaps offering a summer program that would cover what is usually in preK...colors, shapes, letter and number recognition, using scissors, staying in their chair except when working in the centers, taking turns, responding to questions appropriately, etc.

We do an assessment also. But, in Missouri, Kindergarten is voluntary. The law says that a child does not have to enter school until 7 years of age. So, if a child knows nothing on the assessment, it means nothing. The tester may suggest the child stay home, but it rarely happens.
One of my friends has a child who entered K 2 years ago. He knew nothing. He couldn't color, couldn't cut, didn't know numbers or letters, etc... When I asked her about it, she said she didn't know he should have known some of that stuff. And as far as giving him scissors and crayons, she didn't want to have to supervise him, so he still can't draw or cut in second grade.

Manners!! Please, thank you and the rest!! I am appauled at what parents DO NOT teach kids. DO NOT flop on my couch or you will stand for the entire visit, or sit on my floor. Kick my dog and go to the car. If I see the crack of your butt at any point of your visit, your underwear will be around your ears. I am NOT willing to put up with what others are. Get a backbone. Tell them NO!!

The list ex-dil was given at registration in April.
Know shapes and colors
Know/write numbers to 20
Know/write alphabet,
Know/write full name
Know parents grandparents names
Know home address
Know/dial home phone number.

Mine knew the alphabet, could count to 50 and were able to read.
I attribute this to reading to them while they were in the womb. I put headphones on my tummy so they listened to music.
I also continued to read to them since the day they were born. Also I didn't allow that silly baby talk around them. I limited tv and encouraged playing outdoors. All my kids had imaginary friends.

Romatic, but not realistic, 60% of kids are born out of wedlock with no real guidance. I raised mine and about 65 others. I am done with foster care and the whole shebang.
Feed and care, and then send them back to the demons that bore them.

My children never attended preK but knew much more than the average Kindergartener - going to preK does not mean they will know more/or less than others. Parenting will determine what they know when entering Kindergarten - not schooling necessarily. My daughter was reading at 3 at a first grade level... She knew ABC's by the time she was 18 months old, said her first word at five months and could talk in complete sensible sentences when she was one year old. Granted my boys were not at the same level at the same ages, but they did know as much as, if not more, than the average beginning Kindergartener when the time came.

This is pretty close to what they want the kindergartners to know here too.

Wow 7 here it's 5 by Oct or Nov. some in Kindergarden at 4, with numbers and alphabet, Little one I know recently just started knowing how to read. Sad part is some fall further and further behind, or get bored because too smart for the class. and sometimed a hard thing to regulate with larger class sizes, parents definately have to be involved.

Having worked in Kindergarten for 3 years specifically and then several grades this year, I think a realistic standard is:
know letters (or at least a decent percentage of them, or knowledge of alphabet)
counting to 20(difference between numbers and letters)
basic shapes (circle, triangle, square, rhombus, oval, rectangle)
basic colors
write first name
knowledge of books (know that you read left to right, how to hold a book, etc.)

You'd be surprised how little some kids know and how much others do. They have to be taught things in kinder, however, a basic knowledge will allow them to succeed and be strong students.

The problem seams to be the same all over the world! And I think it is useless to ask what they should know. You also could ask what the parents should do, there too many of them out there that dont care and even with a list they will not bother............

In switzerland visiting kindergarden is compulsive the year the child turns five. The two years before entering first grade the teachers try very hard to level out the differences and it is almost impossible as they have children that dont even have basic manners while others read the newspaper.
It is very sad and leads to private kindergartens for priviledged children.
And the margin is getting wider.

Granny

I know they do assess the kids here. I think they should be concerned with kids relationships with others. Many of them do not know how to get along with their classmates and have not been taught the basics like sharing and listening. This generation has so many stimulations between tv and video games, they don't interact like the "old" times where neighborhood kids got together and played outside and learned "people" skills.

AMEN! That is the first thing that popped into my mind. I think outside of the education criteria to join kindergarteners should also have a basic social skill set. Smart mouthed kids need to know that even though Mom and Dad tolerated it, the school system won't.

I think that kids should know the basics, a little reading, the alphabet, numbers, name, address, etc. However with the number of spawning drug addicts, alcoholics, and general idiots this is just asking too much of parents. I mean, come on, they brought these kids into the world, their jobs done.

DD went to school several years with a little boy that couldn't read even in the third grade. His shoes were falling apart, his clothing filthy, his skin filthy. Oh, he had his ears pierced, and he had his hair dyed pink, purple, green or whatever color happened into his parents drugged up minds but soap and water never touched this boy. I played a game one day where we talked about differences between people and how silly prejudices were. I had all the kids take off their shoes and stand on a piece of paper so that I could draw around their feet. We then looked at the different shaped feet and talked about how silly it would be to not like someone because their feet were bigger, smaller or shaped differently than our own. Quite an elaborate ruse to get his foot size so that a pair of new tennis shoes could be left with his teacher for him. No, parents that won't provide a cheap box of crayons or a couple of pencils aren't going to worry about whether or not their kid knows the alphabet.

"Quite an elaborate ruse to get his foot size so that a pair of new tennis shoes could be left with his teacher for him"

I think thats the only way how neglected children can get help. If each familiy raising their children the "propper" way takes care of a classmate like that, it would change the situation.
The less the parents of the classmate care, the less they will mind handdown cloth, weekends spend at your house etc.

Sadly most parents tell their children to stay away from classmates like that. Some of those children dont have a chance from the day they are born.............

This is so true. When dd was in the third grade (8yrs old) one of her classmates would show up every night right after school at 3:15. Since she lived on the other side of town I asked if her mother knew where she was. She replied, "I have to be home at 7pm." I said, "Okay but does your mother know that you are at our house?" She said, "You're being silly, Mrs. Hopper, I have to be home at 7, until then I can go where ever I want to." I said, "Well, it can't be here. We have things to do and I'm not going to be responsible for you. I'm not a babysitter." If that child was ever abducted it would be almost 4 hrs before anyone knew. From central Illinois she could have been taken across state lines in any direction by then.

I don't think you can proscribe what children should be able to do- they develop at different rates, and have different interests- for example some won't like colouring in and, if that is the case, I would expect the teacher to make an effort to direct them towards another activity that can develop their fine motor skills.

We all wish everyone would read to their kids and spend time teaching them things, but I doubt that a list like you suggest would make much difference if parents had not thought to do this by that stage.

I would emphasise things like being able to sit down and listen to instructions, take turns, put their hand up when they need to use the bathroom, etc.

In some countries they don't even start trying to teach kids to write until they are six. There is no hard and fast rule that children have to be able to write their name before they go to Kindy. I'd like them to be able to sit still and hold a pen though.

I doubt if a list or website would help the kids that really need help. The parents that would be interested in seeking a list would be parents that already work with their kids. I also believe that children in K don't need to know much except how to listen and behave at the start of the school year. This is the year they should learn to socialize, learn to follow directions, and then the basics. Education is very important, no question about that, but I really think our little ones are expected to be "grown-up" way to early. And then when they get into higher grades, learning seems to take a back seat. My daughter works in the school system, not a teacher, but as the attendance clerk. She was shocked recently when a senior student asked her what time it was when a huge clock was in sight. She pointed to the clock and the girl still didn't know. Seems her digital watch had stopped working and the only way she could tell time was by "reading the numbers"!! She knew nothing about breaking down the minutes or hours. DD made her come into her office after school so she could teach her. Another thing that bothers DD and myself is that elementery students are not being taught how to print and write properly. Half the time you can'T decipher their words because the letters aren't placed above and below the lines. I say "stop wasting time in first grade with computer time, learn how to print properly". Off my soap box now!!LOL

One day soon computers are not longer going to be our communication. Anyone who thinks this is what will save us from ruin is foolish. My larders are stocked. What did you do for your family today?

I love all of your answers to my question! I think everyone has the right idea! It certainly has made me think. If they had offered Kindergarten when I was a child, I would have started at age 4. The cut off date was November 1st. How sad to stop childhood so soon.
Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you to all who responded to my question. Maybe this will be the topic of my thesis for my masters program. It is all certainly interesting!