Kids are all developmentally different, and just because your child may fall slightly behind in a few areas may not mean she’s not ready for kindergarten. If she is slow at assembling a puzzle, for example, it may simply be that she hasn’t had enough practice or experience with that sort of work. The biggest requirement for kindergarten success is brain development – so if she’s physically lagging behind her peers and has trouble sharing toys, but can think and perceive clearly, she’ll probably do just fine. In general, your kindergarten-age child should have:
Adequate motor skills. This includes both large muscle activities such as walking a straight line and throwing a ball, and small muscle activities like drawing, coloring, and writing letters (or at least trying to).
Academic skills, such as conveying stories and ideas in complete and descriptive sentences, concentrating on a task for ten minutes, knowing and identifying colors, knowing the letters in her name (and recognizing it in print), knowing numbers through at least ten, and knowledge of basic shapes. She should also be able to answer questions regarding her environment (“How many girls are at this table?”), identify opposites, and understand differences and similarities between items.
Social skills. Playing cooperatively with other children, sharing, picking up toys when he’s finished with them, and following a routine all fall under this skill category.
Personal skills, such as handling clothing unassisted (hanging up her coat, buttoning her pants), communicating clearly so that others can easily understand her, and taking care of personal care – going to the bathroom, washing her hands, blowing her nose – by herself.