What Kids Need to Know for Kindergarten

My daughter will be entering kindergarten next fall. Exactly how can I tell if she is ready? Some of my friends have had to teach their kids how to write all the letters and numbers. I want to get a head start on preparing her for kindergarten. --Readiness Question
Answer: Years ago, kindergarten was a time for milk and cookies and learning to get along with other children, as well as finding out what school was all about. Now, it is often an academic year in which children are expected to learn the beginning steps of how to read or even how to read.
Because kindergartens have such different expectations for beginning students, your best bet is to seek your school district's expectations for entering students. In general, the five leading skills students are expected to have are in the areas of the spoken word, thinking, fine motor, social and self-help. You can visit the Dear Teacher website (dearteacher.com) to see our checklist of skills most students entering kindergarten are expected to have.