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Kinder Ready Tips & How-to's

Social Skills

Language Skills

  • Predict When Reading:  Have the child predict what will happen next when reading a book together.  Sample questions include:

    • What do you think is going to happen next?
    • Oh no! What is she going to do now?
    • What would you do if you were him?
    • How are they going to solve this problem?
       

    Read Expressions:  Use illustrations to help a child build their vocabulary and start to understand emotions. When a character is sad, happy, angry or surprised, pause to look at illustrations and talk about the characters' facial expressions. Ask, "How do you think she's feeling right now?". Authors who are particularly skilled at portraying emotions in both words and pictures include Kevin Henkes, Patricia Polacco, Arnold Lobel and Mo Willems.

     

    Make Connections:  Connect personal experiences with recently read stories or informational texts (e.g., Your shoes got dirty.  Now they look brown like Pete the Cat’s shoes in Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes.).

     

    Recall Details:  Have the child recall a story or information from text (e.g., book, magazine, brochure).  The retell may be organized sequentially (e.g., first, next, last) or by a specific set of details (e.g., color, type of food, habitats, character actions).

     

    Draw a Picture:  Have the child draw a picture of the story.  Ask the child to tell you about their drawing.  Engage in the 3Ts.

     

    Act it Out:  Invite the child to act out parts of the story by pretending to be one of the characters.  Join in and pretend with them!

     

    PEER Method:

    • P: Prompt the child with a question about the story. Prompting the child focuses attention, engages the child in the story, and helps the child understand the book.  Point to something in the picture, for example, a balloon. "What is that?"
    • E: Evaluate the child's response.  "That's right! That's a balloon."
    • E: Expand on what the child said.  "That's a big, red balloon! We saw one of those in the grocery store yesterday."
    • R: Repeat or revisit the prompt you started with, encouraging the child to use the new information you've provided.  "Can you say big, red balloon?" Each time the book is reread, the expanded vocabulary words are verbalized again.
       

    Don't feel obligated to use the PEER procedure on every page, with every book. Keep it fun! Use PEER when it fits and when the child is engaged with the story. See PEER information in English and Spanish.

     

    Story Time: Ask questions before, during, and after reading together.  Story Time Questions

     

    Story Sequencing:  This activity includes listening to a short story and putting picture cards in order (beginning, middle, and end) to retell the story.

     

    Oral Language -

    Tune In, Talk More, Take Turns (3Ts):  Tune In means to be in the moment by paying attention to what the child is focused on and talking about it. What children focus on is always changing, so stayed tuned in and change your words to match.  Once you Tune In, Talk More with the child.  Remember, every word you say fills their vocabulary bank and builds their brain.  When you Tune In and Talk More, you automatically Take Turns.  No matter a child’s age, you can Take Turns and have a conversation.  Learn more about the 3Ts. Watch the 3Ts.

     

    Photo Talk:  Look at photos of the child's friends and family members.  Model telling a story about the photo or the people in the photo.  Have the child tell stories about photos of their choice as well.

     

    At the Supermarket:  Increase the number of turns taken in a conversation by having the child guess what you spy as you describe an item (e.g., green, sweet, and succulent).  Repeat several times.  Watch At the Supermarket.

     

    Expand on Observations:  Repeat the child's comments on something seen, heard, or experienced.  Add additional descriptions to teach new information and/or vocabulary.  When a child says a classmate was hurt at school and crying really loud, you may respond by saying, "I am sorry to hear he got hurt today.  It must have really hurt if he was wailing so loudly".

     

    Why?:  Answer genuinely when the child asks, "Why?".   First ask if the child has an answer to their question by asking, "What do you think?".  Then suggest looking up the answer in a book, on a computer, or on a smart phone.  Discuss how the child's answer is similar and/or different from the answer found, increasing the number of turns taken in conversation.

     

    How was your day?:  Ask more specific questions with additional follow-up questions to increase the amount of turns taken in a conversation.

    • Who did you play with today?  Tell me what you did with them.
    • Did the teacher read a book?  What/who was the book about?
    • Who sat next to you at lunch?  What did you talk about?
       

    Conversation Cards: Use conversation cards any time or place to increase a child’s use and understanding of oral language. Suggestions include at the dinner table, while waiting in a store or restaurant, and during bedtime routines. Use follow up questions to increase the number of turns taken in a conversation.  Conversation Cards

     

    Play to Read: Use the NC Office of Early Learning Play to Read with a Caregiver resource to focus on oral language. Print 4 slides per page for cards on the go!  Play to Read

     

    Great Resources for FREE online children's books.

    Free Children's Stories: Free Children's Stories allows you to search books for age 3 through 10 and includes middle grade novels.  Book are available in six languages by clicking the flag on the bottom right while navigating the site.

     

    Monkey Pen Books: Monkey Pen provides free digital books to young readers around the globe.

     

    Flyleaf Books: Flyleaf Publishing provides access to free books through their Online Materials Portal. Books are organized by skills a child may be practicing such as blends, multisyllabic words, words with endings, digraphs, words with a long vowel and silent e, and r controlled vowels.

     

    Storyline Online: Do you need an example of fluent reading?  Storyline Online is a free online library that features popular books read by celebrities including Betty White, James Earl Jones, Tia and Tamera Mowry to name a few.  New books are added regularly and it's funded by the Screen Actors Guild.

  • Model Reading Fluency:  Use the following tips for Reading With Expression

    • Read expressively: talk the way the story's characters would talk; make sound effects and funny faces; and vary the pitch of your voice throughout the story to make it more interesting.
    • Expressively reread when you notice words like “shouted”, “cried” or “laughed”.
    • Expressively reread when you notice punctuation such as ! and ?.
    • Enjoy the time reading together! Do not rush.
    • Watch Reading Fluency.
       

    ABC Books:  Read ABC books to the child.  Take time to name and point to each letter. Have the child repeat the name of letters.  Read the books several times and notice the number of letters the child can identify increase!

     

    ABC Cookie Cutters:  Use letter shaped cookie cutters with play dough and/or cookie dough.  Take time to name and point to each letter.  Have the child repeat the name of letters.

     

    Letters Everywhere:  Name letters on signs, license plates, and more when you are riding in the car or taking a walk! Watch Letters Everywhere.

     

    Be a Role Model:  Don't forget to be a reader and writer yourself.  One of the most effective ways to help children become readers and writers is to show them through your own example that you value literacy - and that reading and writing have useful purposes. Keep books and writing materials in the home, and talk about what you are doing when you read and write.

     

    Letter Sorting: Sort letters using magazines, empty boxes, junk mail, and more. This activity is written for teachers, but can be easily adapted for use at home.  Letter Sorting

     

    Model Reading Fluency:  Use the following tips for Reading With Expression

    • Read expressively: talk the way the story's characters would talk; make sound effects and funny faces; and vary the pitch of your voice throughout the story to make it more interesting.
    • Expressively reread when you notice words like “shouted”, “cried” or “laughed”.
    • Expressively reread when you notice punctuation such as ! and ?.
    • Enjoy the time reading together! Do not rush.
    • Watch Reading Fluency.
       

    ABC Books:  Read ABC books to the child.  Take time to name and point to each letter. Have the child repeat the name of letters.  Read the books several times and notice the number of letters the child can identify increase!

     

    ABC Cookie Cutters:  Use letter shaped cookie cutters with play dough and/or cookie dough.  Take time to name and point to each letter.  Have the child repeat the name of letters.

     

    Letters Everywhere:  Name letters on signs, license plates, and more when you are riding in the car or taking a walk! Watch Letters Everywhere.

     

    Be a Role Model:  Don't forget to be a reader and writer yourself.  One of the most effective ways to help children become readers and writers is to show them through your own example that you value literacy - and that reading and writing have useful purposes. Keep books and writing materials in the home, and talk about what you are doing when you read and write.

     

    Letter Sorting: Sort letters using magazines, empty boxes, junk mail, and more. This activity is written for teachers, but can be easily adapted for use at home.  Letter Sorting

     

    Pick and Write: Pick, name, and write letters with the Letter Tree activity. This activity is written for teachers, but can be easily adapted for use at home.  Pick and Write

     

    Play to Read: Use a subset of the NC Office of Early Learning Play to Read with a Caregiver resource to focus on letter naming. Print 4 slides per page for cards on the go!  Play to Read: Letter Knowledge

     

    Models of Fluent Reading: This resource provides opportunities to see illustrations and listen to books read fluently.

     

    Naming Letters While Moving: This capital letter video and this lowercase video make learning fun by activating the child’s brain through song and movement.

     

    Play to Read: Use a subset of the NC Office of Early Learning Play to Read with a Caregiver resource to focus on letter naming. Print 4 slides per page for cards on the go!  Play to Read: Letter Knowledge

     

    Models of Fluent Reading: This resource provides opportunities to see illustrations and listen to books read fluently.

     

    Naming Letters While Moving: This capital letter video and this lowercase video make learning fun by activating the child’s brain through song and movement.

  • At the Supermarket:  Have the child guess what you spy as you describe an item (e.g., green, sweet, and succulent). Repeat several times.  Watch At the Supermarket.

     

    Spatial Language:  Help the child by using spatial language to describe daily activities (e.g., "I see some round grapes that fell under the table. Let's put them in this bowl."). At the store, ask the  child to give you the cereal box that is next to, under, above, or between other items on the shelf.  You can also use words to describe something’s size, such as biggest, smallest, shortest and tallest.  Spatial language includes references to shapes (triangle, square), sizes (tall, wide), features of shapes (corner, edge) and orientation (above, below, near, between).

     

    More at the Store:  Talk about each item as you put them in the cart.  Name food you pass in the aisle and use new/less familiar words to describe the items (e.g., "These bananas are so yellow and ripe. We can have them for lunch. Let's put those ripe bananas down gently so they don't get bruised.").

    Spotlight the Word:  Anticipate unfamiliar words to spotlight during a read aloud. Intentionally provide child-friendly definitions when reading unfamiliar words, remembering that some words are abstract and may have more than one meaning. Also, remember to spotlight familiar words and ask the child to explain the meaning.

     

    Play Categories:

    • Choose a category (e.g., fruit, kitchen, the zoo, music, clothes).
    • Make a string of words that belong in the category by taking turns adding a word each (e.g., fruit- banana, apple, blueberry, mango).
    • Each word may only be said once.
    • If you repeat a word, choose a word that doesn’t belong, or simply run out of ideas, choose a new category and start again.
    • Stay motivated by writing down the record of how many words in a category, and try to beat it.
       

    What Am I?: Find the words to describe an object. It will expand the child’s vocabulary of adjectives and verbs.

    • The child closes their eyes and you find any object in the room and hide it behind your back.
    • You describe the object while the child guesses what it is.
    • Use riddle phrases such as I am long, I am shiny, I am used to eat with, I hold liquids, What am I? (a spoon).
    • Give as many clues as you need to until the child guesses the object.
    • When the child guesses correctly, let them have a turn to hide an object behind their back and describe it.
       

    Play to Read: Use a subset of the NC Office of Early Learning Play to Read with a Caregiver resource to focus on vocabulary. Print 4 slides per page for cards on the go!  Play to Read: Vocabulary

     

    Words Are Here, There, and Everywhere: This activity allows you to choose a “way to play” the Sesame Street Reading Adventure in English or Spanish. Discover Words includes words that are most likely less familiar to children with an illustration. Explore More uses the less familiar words in sentences. Story Time shares a more detailed story using the less familiar words. While playing, click on the words in bold print for a child friendly definition.

     

    Talk about New Words: This activity introduces words that may be less familiar to the child. Click on the words in bold print for a child friendly definition. Discover Words includes words that are most likely less familiar to children with an illustration. Story Time shares a more detailed story using the less familiar words.

     

    Adventure Cards: This activity provides words that are used less frequently in daily conversation and a child-friendly definition. After reading the definition and looking at an illustration, complete a story by filling the blanks. This context reinforces the meanings of words.

     

    Is It A Baby Animal?: This Classroom Connection lesson will help the child practice print concepts and build vocabulary by sorting.

  • Nursery Rhymes:  Sing a nursery rhyme each week with the child.  Talk about words that rhyme, describing them as words that sound the same at the end.  As the child becomes more familiar with the rhyme, have them complete phrases by saying the rhyming word.  

     

    Rhyme Time:  Come up with simple riddles or poems and go over them with the child. Next, let the child fill in the rhyming word after you start the riddles or poem (e.g. “The black cat is very ____ (fat)” or “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a big ____ (fall)”. ) Remember, rhyming words sound the same at the end.

     

    Odd Word Out with Rhyming:  Let the child know they will be listening for the “odd word out” in groups of words that rhyme (e.g. man, can, book).  Remember, rhyming words sound the same at the end.

     

    Alliteration Awareness:  While talking, point out words that have the same beginning sound (e.g., I saw the bird catch a bug.  Bird and bug start with the same sound., At the store, we need to buy corn and ketchup.  Corn and ketchup start with the same sound.).

     

    Odd Word Out with Alliteration:  Let the child know they will be listening for the “odd word out” in groups of words that have the same beginning sound (e.g. man, tree, monkey).  Remember, words with the same beginning sound are examples of alliteration.

     

    How many words do you hear?:  Say a short sentence.  Repeat the sentence with the child.  Jump/clap/tap for each word while saying the sentence again.  Say how many words are in the sentence.  Repeat several times.

     

    Syllable Sorting:  Find objects, toys, trinkets in the home and ask the child to sort them by number of syllables in the word.  Sorting mats can be made by writing the numerals 1-3 on pieces of paper.  Place the objects on the appropriate number.  What is a Syllable?

     

    Nursery Rhymes:  Recite nursery rhymes.  Pause to talk about rhyming words and how they sound the same at the end.  Nursery Rhyme Sheet

     

    Rhyming Cards:  Use printable rhyming cards for many activities.  Rhyming Cards and Activities

    Syllable Cards: Use printable picture cards to sort according to the number of syllables in words.  Syllable Cards

     

    Grover’s Rhyme Time:  This interactive game engages children in rhyming practice.

     

    Syllables: This interactive video demonstrates syllable segmentation.  Repeat the activity with other words.

  • A blue notebook with a gold star and a pencil, ready for writing.

    3-4 years Following 2 part instructions (e.g. Go to your room and get your shoes).    
    Following 3 part instructions (e.g. Point to the cat, the dog and the monkey).    
    Pointing to main body parts, clothing items, toys and food when asked.    
    Understanding longer, more complex sentences.    
    Understanding What, Where and Who questions.    
    Comprehending position concepts: on; off; in; out; up; down; under; top; open; shut; bottom; behind; first; near.    
    Comprehending size concepts: big; small/little; long; short (length) – emerging; short (height).    
    Comprehending quantity concepts: 1-3; every; none.    
    Comprehending concepts: stop; go/start; loud; quiet; heavy; soft; fast; hot; cold; hard; slow; light (weight); many colours.    
    Asking What, Where, Why, When & How questions.    
    Using a minimum of 3-4 words in a sentence.    
    Telling you what they are doing.    
    Telling you the function or use of an object.    
    Using nearly 1500 words in their vocabulary by 4 years.    
    Using regular plurals (e.g. 1 dog, 2 dogs).    
    Using articles ‘a’ and ‘the’.    
    Using progressive –ing (e.g. The boy is jumping).    
    Using pronouns you, I, me, mine, he, she.    
    Using regular past tense (e.g. I climbed).    
    Using possessive’s (e.g. Daddy’s car).    
    Using auxiliary ‘is’ (e.g. The girl is skipping).    
    Using connector ‘and’ (e.g. I want a banana and an apple).    
    Using 3rd person singular (e.g. He wants the ball; The rabbit eats grass).    
    Using contracted negative (e.g. isn’t, doesn’t, haven’t, shouldn’t).    
    Using contracted copula (e.g. He’s happy).    

    Using past participle (e.g. It’s broken).

     

     

    		    
    4-5 years Following 3 part instructions (e.g. Point to the cat, the dog and the monkey).    
    Understanding longer, more complex sentences.    
    Understanding questions.    
    Following the meaning of others’ conversations.    
    Understanding What, Where, Who and How questions.    
    Comprehending position concepts: bottom; behind; first; near; middle; around; away from; between; through; next to/beside; last by mid-late 4 years.    
    Comprehending size concepts: short (length); short (height); tall; fat by mid-late 4 years.    
    Comprehending quantity concepts: 4; most; few by mid-late 4 years.    
    Comprehending position concepts: in front; in a line; corner; middle by late 4-5 years.    
    Comprehending size concept thin by late 4-5 years.    
    Comprehending quantity concepts 5 and pair by late 4-5 years.    
    Comprehending concepts: same; different (size); different (function) by late 4-5 years.    
    Asking Why, When and How questions.    
    Asking the meanings of words.    
    Using a minimum of 4-5 words in a sentence.    
    Understanding color words (e.g. red, green).    
    Understanding shape words (e.g. square, triangle).    
    Sorting objects into simple categories (e.g. animals, food).    
    Talking about past and future events.    
    Using auxiliary ‘is’ (e.g. The girl is skipping).    
    Using pronouns he; she; his; hers; theirs.    
    Using connectors ‘and’ (e.g. I want a banana and an apple) and ‘because‘ (e.g. The boy was crying because he fell over and hurt his knee).    
    Using 3rd person singular (e.g. He wants the ball; It eats grass).    
    Using contracted negative (e.g. isn’t, doesn’t, haven’t, shouldn’t).    
    Using contracted copula (e.g. He’s happy).    
    Using past participle (e.g. It’s broken).    
    Using comparative –er and superlative -est (e.g. big, bigger, biggest).    
    Using ‘is‘ vs ‘are‘ (e.g. The monkey is eating a banana vs The monkeys are eating the bananas).    
    Using past tense ‘to be’ (e.g. I was running; They were running).    
    Using adverb –ly (e.g. quickly, slowly, quietly).    
    Using irregular plurals (e.g. mice, children, men).

Academic Skills

Self-Help & Motor Skills

Procedural Knowledge

Understanding Concepts