What is a Kindergarten Readiness Test?
It is a basic assessment test used in schools to help determine a child’s readiness for kindergarten. It tests several broad skills that impact learning. Nationwide many schools use the standardized Brigance Kindergarten Readiness Test. Parents can practice the skills tested to help ready your child for school. Your child is NOT expected to know all these skills, like being able to name all alphabet letters, but the assessment helps determine how ready your child is for kindergarten and provides helpful information to the teacher and parent. Many children have not scored well on kindergarten readiness tests because parents are not aware of what skills to teach. Learn more about the Brigance Kindergarten Readiness Test below and educator suggestions to teach the skills tested. Other kindergarten readiness tests assess similar skills. Learn more at www.abcsforliteracy.com
Note: The skills tested progress from easier to more difficult left to right.
1) Basic info: First name, full name, age, birthday (mo. & day), address (street), telephone #
Suggestions: Encourage your child to speak up and say their name clearly i.e. say “Now, tell me again your beautiful name.” or “OK, tell me your full name & what part is like mine.” Practice these facts while on short trips in the car and when you arrive home say your address with your child until they can state it independently. Whenever out, have your child practice saying your home phone number with you before you dial it to call home.
2) Colors – 10: red blue green yellow orange purple brown black pink gray
Suggestions: Practice matching & naming the crayon colors in 2 basic 8-color crayon boxes & then add the 2 additional colors. Also match M&Ms or Skittles into color groups & name color to eat.
3) Alphabet UC or LC: recognize and name letter and Can Print Name: first last
Suggestions: A good start is to learn the letters in first name then last name. A Name Puzzle & Name Song makes learning the letters in a child’s name easy. See abcsforliteracy.com “Literacy Tips” or “Lessons” page for guidance. Reading alphabet books like Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (By Archambault &Martin) is a very effective teaching tool. Practice tracing then writing name.
4) Rote Counting to 30: (practice 1-10 11-20 20-30)
Suggestions: Rote counting 10 is a good start & counting with fingers is even better, then practice to 20 (with fingers & toes of child or your & child’s fingers), then work to 30.
5) Numeral Comprehension: can match quantity to number to 10 items (a good start is to match to 4)
Suggestions: This skill takes much practice. Remember to practice 0- nothing, nada, don’t have a thing… Practice with fingers can be done anywhere if the parent carries 0-10 number cards around. Then practice with objects like candy, marbles, or beans. Practice placing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 objects on the ends (or the ends and curve for 5) of the corresponding number.
6) Number Readiness- joins groups of objects to 10 (a good start is 4)
Suggestions: Get out the candy and toys! Practice color identification and grouping objects at the same time. M&M’s and Skittles work well. Start with the lower numbers 1-4. Tell your child what them to count all the objects when you put them together. For example, say “If I have 2 red M&M’s and you give me a green M&M, how many do I have in my group all together?” or say “If you give me 2 brown M&M’s and then you give me 2 yellow M&M’s, how many do I have in my group all together?” Work up until you can say “Here are 3 blocks and I add 1 block to it, how many blocks do I have?” and your child can answer easily. The skill is to be able count objects NOT ADD. Then move on to larger groups totaling 5-10.
7) Concepts of Print: can child- hold book properly, point to a letter, point to a word
Suggestions: Read a book at least nightly to your child. This is likely the single best preparation you can do with your child for school. Have your child practice holding the book properly and point to a letter (start with the letter a or the first letter in your child’s name) and point to a word (talk about how letters go together to make words, your child’s name is a good example, and how some words like a and I have only 1 letter) as the book is read. Read many times repetitive books like Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (By Carle & Martin). Point out letters and simple words repeated in the book: I, see, a, me. Track the words with your finger as you read the book to your child to illustrate how the print is read left to right. Then read it again!
8) Speech: (is speech understandable, can child speak in a complete sentence of at least 5 words)
Suggestions: Help your child practice speaking in a complete sentence, for example, if you ask your child how they feel and the response is “tired” say “Let’s say that in a sentence please like ‘I am very tired today.’ or ‘I am tired today because I played outside.’ Now you try.”
9) Gross Motor: (stand on one foot, stands on one foot with eyes closed, walks backwards 5 steps)
Suggestions: Play hop-scotch with your child: eyes open, then later eyes closed, and finally, backwards. Play using the curve as a balance-beam.
10) Visual Motor- COPIES WHEN SHOWN A PICTURE OF: X circle square triangle diamond
Suggestions: Practice drawing shapes with your child and have them practice writing their name as letters have shapes.
11) Identifies Body Parts: names body part pointed indicated- head, wrist, ankle, knee….
Suggestions: Get a Hasbro Operation game and play it with your child. Or sing “Dem Bones” to & with your child. It goes “the hip bone is connected to the thigh bone, the thigh bone is connected to the knee bone, the knee bone is connected to the shin bone”…ok, and doctors don’t get technical yet (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e54m6XOpRgU). Or just play “Where is your ---- game” start out pointing to your knee or neck or wrist or whatever you name and have your child point to their corresponding body part. Work up until you can say “Where is your ----“ and the child can simply point to that body part.
12) Draws a Person- including & can identify: head, trunk, legs, arms, mouth, nose, eyes
Suggestions: Show your child how to draw a simple stick person with the head, trunk, legs, and arms and as time goes by keep including more and more detail like the mouth, nose, eyes, neck, hair….
Copyright 2012 abcsforliteracy.com
Note: For more information Google "Brigance Kindergarten Readiness Test". It is a standardized test only appropriate for certain ages. Don’t teach to the test, but rather practice the important skills tested.
And don’t worry, your child will learn so much in kindergarten!
Note: For more information Google "Brigance Kindergarten Readiness Test". It is a standardized test only appropriate for certain ages. Don’t teach to the test, but rather practice the important skills tested.
And don’t worry, your child will learn so much in kindergarten!
