A co-educational private school for Preschool–Grade Eight

Preparation for Kindergarten

We understand and recognize that children develop at different rates. At the Preschool level, there is a vast range of what's "normal." Therefore, children entering Kindergarten have different skill levels. Our expertly trained teachers are prepared and ready to work with all of our students using various methods and approaches to fit varied skill sets and learning styles. 

While knowing letters and numbers are important skills, many other things also contribute to a successful kindergarten year. Children entering Kindergarten at Far Hills are generally able to do most of the things listed below.

Kindergarten boy reading

  • Identify most letters in the alphabet and provide sounds for many of the letters of the alphabet

  • Engage in language play (manipulate, separate, blend, and repeat sounds)

  • Identify words that rhyme and provide a rhyming word for a given word

  • Retell a familiar event or story and communicate feelings, thoughts, and simple stories

  • Comment on characters, predict what will happen next, act out familiar stories

  • Create a story

  • Listen attentively to a story

  • Ask questions and make comments about a story. Connect information from text to personal life experiences

  • Demonstrate engagement during read-aloud exercises with eye contact, body language, and facial expressions

 kindergarten girl looking through books

  • Identify the common signs and symbols in the environment (e.g., an exit sign, center labels, computer icons, rebus)
     

  • Identify own name and write own first name using all or mostly upper case letters

  • Pretend to read own writing.

  • Produce letters using a variety of materials (e.g., play dough)

  • “Write” as part of play and other activities

  • Follow oral directions that may involve multi-step actions

  • Participate in singing, finger-plays, chanting, retelling, creating stories, and in “show-and-tell” activities

  • Participate in conversations with peers and adults by taking turns and generally staying on topic

  • Express ideas, negotiate with peers, describe, express feelings, initiate play, obtain information

Kindergarten boy playing outside on swings

  • Write numbers to represent quantities
     

  • Identify numerals 1 to 10

  • Count to 30

  • Can point to each object and count to about 20

  • Understand that NUMBER represents a specific group of objects and refers to quantity

  • Show when you join objects, you add, and when you take objects away, you subtract

  • Show quantities 1 to 10, using objects, pictures and numerals

  • Compare quantities of groups up to 10 objects, using terms such as more/less and same

  • Speak in full sentences

  • Share with others

  • Make choices, take turns, show concern for others