MLC's Countdown to Kindergarten

Empower your child by having them do more independently prior to going to school. It can be a little more time-consuming at first, but having your child practice doing things on their own will help build confidence, set them up for success in school, and will save you and your family time in the long run.

Our Kindergarten Students Can:

• Zip, snap, tie, button, and fasten velcro.
• Complete toileting routines.
• Clean up after a meal.
• Transition from an electronic device to a non-preferred activity.

It is important that your child feels confident and secure in making decisions and handling separation from family for an extended period of time. If your child hasn't had a chance to practice separating from you, this summer is a great time to start practicing.

7/28: MLC Kx3 Family Social + Mr. Ben Summer Concert 4:30 p.m.

8/18: Kindergarten Connect Event (@ Couch Park Playground) 10:30-11:30 a.m.

8/26 & 8/27: Conferences

8/28: First Day of School Grades 1-12; First Day for Kindergarteners Last Names A-K

8/31: First Day for Kindergarteners Last Names L-Z

9/1: First Day for All Kindergarteners

9/7: No School (Labor Day)

How can I help my child get ready for kindergarten?

You can practice the following skills at home this summer to get ready for kindergarten...

Getting ready for Reading - your child:

• Holds a book and turns pages correctly
• Understands the sounds that letters make
• Recognizes a few simple words (sight words such as a, the, and)
• Reads every day/enjoys listening to stories

Getting ready for Writing - your child:

• Can write first and last name
• Understands that words are written from left to right
• Can print letters and numbers 1 to 10
• Writes often, enjoys writing

Getting ready for Math - your child:

• Counts objects from 1 to 10
• Recognizes numerals 1 to 10
• Recognizes shapes: circle, square, triangle, oval, rectangle
• Knows basic colors

Getting ready for Learning - your child:

• Can correctly hold and use a pencil and crayons: traces, colors
• Cuts with scissors: cuts on line, holds correctly
• Organizes own materials: backpack and coat
• Works independently
• Follows directions
• Handles disappointment appropriately
• Cooperates with other children: sharing, taking turns
• Keeps hands and feet to self

Why Limit Technology Exposure?

• Socially, technology can negatively impact a child's ability to develop and understand relationships with other people. When children aren't spending time with peers, they aren't developing play skills, problem solving skills, self/emotional regulation and having the face to face interactions that are necessary for developing social skills which can only be learned as a result of interactions and feedback from others. The less they interact with other people, the more impaired their social skills. The more impaired their social skills, the more difficulty they have developing relationships.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following guidelines for technology:

• Less than 2 hours per day for kids ages 5-18.
• No more than 1 hour per day for kids ages 2-5.
• None for kids younger than 18 months old.

Note: This is the combined amount at home, in the car, in the cart at the grocery store, free time, etc.

Opposites & Similarities –

• "What is the opposite of…." – tall, short, cold, hot, small, big, thin, wide, happy, sad, etc.

• "Name all the words that mean the same thing as, or similar to…" - big (large, great, huge, enormous, massive, giant), little (tiny, mini, small, short, puny, teeny), sad (unhappy, depressed, down, gloomy, upset), happy (glad, cheerful, joyful, merry, pleased, excited), etc.

First edition

Second edition

Third edition

Youth of all ages can play the Summer Reading game by starting a daily reading habit. Children and teens can track their reading on paper or online from June 15 to August 15. Visit the library to register and receive a paper gameboard or sign up to play online with Beanstack.

Our support team curated some resources to help families teach boundaries to their children and support both social-emotional and literacy development.

The screen capture above shows what the resource looks like. To download the copy with functional links, click on the PDF below. Thank you for partnering with us to support healthy development so that all students at MLC learn how to navigate both expected and unexpected situations.

Click here to view the slide deck we went through during our Lottery Open House.