I went to my 3-year-old son’s regular parent/teacher meeting about a month ago. One of the things I was curious about was what they were doing to prepare my son for kindergarten, which was approaching quickly. While I believe that play-based early childhood programs are fantastic, I also feel that they should prepare students for the academic rigors of grades K-12.

Fortunately, his daycare recognizes this and offers its students the skills necessary to excel at the next level. But not all parents are so fortunate. Many PreK programs in the United States are failing students by not fully preparing them for kindergarten. The reality is that if you find yourself in this situation, it will be up to you to guarantee that your child has the necessary abilities to succeed.

To get you started, I’ll provide you with a checklist of the school preparation abilities that your child should have before the first day of kindergarten. This list merely serves as a reference; specific expectations may differ from program to program. Your child’s elementary school will be able to supply you with an exact list.

Skills for School Readiness

1. Identify certain letters of the alphabet.
2. Properly grip a pencil, crayon, or marker (thumb and forefinger supporting the tip).
3. Write the initial name in upper- and lowercase letters, if possible.
4. Speak in whole words.
5. Recognize some common sight words such as “stop.”
6. Count backwards from ten.
7. Bounce a ball.
8. Classify things by size, shape, and quantity.
9. Recognize rhyming words
10.  Easily use scissors, glue, paint, and other craft supplies.
11.  Repeat full name, address, phone number, and birthdate.
12. Play independently or with a companion for up to 10 minutes.
13.  Manage restroom needs
14. Get dressed 
15. Follow directions
16. Clean up after oneself 
17. Listen to a narrative without interrupting 
18. Separate easily from parents

Don’t get too worked up if your child hasn’t mastered everything on this list. Most children require a longer time to develop these skills, and you must ensure that this is developmentally appropriate. The most important thing is that they can do simple things like zipping their jackets and handling their bathroom needs. Everything else will come in due course.