Kindergarten classrooms at Dallas Center-Grimes CSD are full of joy, spirit, creativity and learning! This is a special time in our student’s educational journey and we can’t wait to watch as these young children flourish during their time in our district. We hope this page serves as a resource for parents getting ready to send your child to kindergarten in the fall. Please reach out to any of our building principals for additional information.
Motor Skills
- Hold a pencil, crayon, or marker with a proper grip.
- Cut with child-safe scissors.
- Color within the lines and practice drawing shapes and pictures.
- Write their first name using uppercase and lowercase letters.
- Run, jump, and climb safely.
- Use playground equipment independently.
Social-Emotional Skills
- Take turns and share with others.
- Follow simple rules and routines.
- Express emotions with words instead of actions.
- Show kindness and respect to adults and peers.
- Participate in group activities.
Literacy Readiness
- Recognize and name some letters of the alphabet.
- Recognize their own name and practice writing it.
- Can hold a book correctly (right side up).
- Turn pages in a book one at a time, in the correct order.
- Recognize that sentences are read from left to right and top to bottom.
- Identify the front and back cover of a book.
- Understand the difference between letters, words, and sentences.
- Point to words in a book while an adult reads aloud (tracking print).
Math Readiness
- Count objects up to 10 (or higher).
- Recognize and name numbers up to 10 (or higher).
- Sort objects by color, shape, size, or other attributes.
- Identify basic shapes like circles, squares, and triangles.
Self-Help Skills
- Use the restroom independently and wash hands.
- Put on and take off shoes, jackets, hats, gloves, and backpacks.
- Open lunch containers and snack packages.
- Follow simple routines like cleaning up after play.
Listening & Communication Skills
- Follow one and two-step directions.
- Listen to stories and answer simple questions about them.
- Use words to express needs, thoughts, and feelings.
- Speak in complete sentences when talking to others.
Problem-Solving and Communication Skills
- Ask for help when needed.
- Make simple choices (e.g., “Do you want the red cup or the blue cup?”).
- Predict what might happen in different situations (e.g., “What do you think will happen if we mix these colors?”).
- Manage transitions and change of routine with minimal frustrations.