Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion What is Learned in Kindergarten (at least here)

I think you are right about this. I am fairly certain that he just needs a little more time for the fine motor skills to continue to develop. He will make the letters out of other objects, which tells me he understands how to form them.

Wow, this is really similar to what my mom sent me from their school....DD is 2.7 and has completed all but 3 thing on thr list although she has started to do each of those things, just doesn't have them mastered!

Molly - take the / out of the first "quote".

Wow! My dd is farther along in her "kinder" skills than I thought! And yes, we have the "writing like a 3 year old" issue here! Her body isn't up to speed with her brain either! LOL!

The kindergarten goals here are more advanced. My nephew's class is already reading sight words, spelling, and dictating stories that they then copy. Our state is not highly ranked either, but I'm surprised that they haven't started the sounds. Sounds are typically done in preschool around here, and started again in the first week of kindergarten.

The skill that is often a challenge for a young K child, or a skipped K child that has mastered the academic portion, is the motor and/or fine motor skills. A child may be able to even write short stories, but their printing lags. They hold their pencil heavier or press too hard or have the wrong grip; some draw letters instead of forming them in the proper order which slows them down even more. (It can be hard to break habits when you have a kid that loves to write.) Come first grade they need to write fast enough to pass the timed drills.

For this reason sometimes it is better to skip first than K. But some HG kids, and especially PG kids may never have a good fit due to asynchrony.

I do think that the stated curriculum is not necessarily the same as what happens in each classroom depending on the teacher and mix of kids. For example, I have noticed since we moved DD8 to public school that some teachers seem to "meet" the requirements and assume that those that need more will learn anyway and others will actually be able to provide more for the kids who need it.

Wow, those first goals are low.

I'm hoping that if DS is able to skip into 1st they are good about not penalizing him for his handwriting realizing that that will just come with practice.

I know that in DSs class at the rate they're going they'll just finish this list by the end of the year. And like a lot of people that responded here he knew most or all of this before he was 3.

the goal list posted first here sounds similar to my schools, however i know a kindergarden teacher and she says that most kids come in knowing half, and many all, of the curriculum, but its the job of the kindergarden teacher to bring all the kids up to a similar level so they can just GO in first grade. That kindergarden is an "equalizer" because all the kids come from different backgrounds, full-time preschools, dayscares, no preschool, etc. So its my feeling that i would not necessarily use any list like this as a developmental checklist.

It's good to know how many other kids in the room can do most of the items, and if they are supposed to sit quietly while the teacher helps the others catch up.
Grinity