In the early years parents and family are the child's best teachers. Babies are hardwired to learn from before birth and early learning provides the foundation for higher levels of learning down the road.

What Does Ready for School Mean?

Socially and Emotionally Prepared

• Talks to adults and answers questions
• Pays attention
• Takes turns, shares and plays well with others
• Knows birthday, name and age

Healthy and Active

• Eats healthy food, especially for breakfast
• Dresses them self and manages buttons and zippers
• Throws, catches, bounces and kicks a ball
• Jumps, hops, skips and turns a somersault
• Plays outdoors every day

Enthusiastic and curious

• Tells stories and talks
• Likes to ask questions and learn answers
• Goes for walks and observes nature
• Likes to sing, draw, color build and create

Language Skills

• Knows most of the letters in the alphabet
• Can spell and write first name
• Can find rhyming words
• Likes books and can tell what a story was about

Counts and Recognizes Shapes

• Can count out loud to twenty
• Can count ten objects
• Knows shapes like circles, squares and triangles
• Likes to find numbers around the house