What Do Kids Learn in Kindergarten? + 24 Activities, Too!

Have a Little One Entering Kindergarten?

Kindergarten sure has changed since you and I attended.  I know I was shocked to see everything on my kids’ Kindergarten curriculum.  I sure don’t remember knowing how to read by the end of it, do you?  With all of the changes in educational standards from Common Core, I thought it’d be helpful to share what kids really learn in Kindergarten.

What Do Kids Learn in Kindergarten?

Numbers & Counting
Learning numbers and counting is a big thing in Kindergarten.  Some kids go from learning just to count from 1-10 to learning to count to 100 and beyond.  Kindergartners will also learn how to count by 5s and 10s.  Some number learning activities:

    

Geometric Shapes
Kids are now learning their basic shapes in preschool, but Kindergartners will still explore shapes.  They’ll start to learn about more complex geometric shapes and how they relate to math concepts.  Some shape learning activities:

    

A Foundation in Math
Kindergartner math goes beyond basic shapes and counting nowadays.  In fact, they are expected to get a good foundation in math skills.  New standards even have kids doing basic addition and subtraction in Kindergarten!  Some math learning activities:

     

Letters & Beginning Reading & Writing
The alphabet is the basis for a lot of learning in Kindergarten.  Most children know their ABCs when they enter Kindergarten, but end up learning how to use the alphabet for early reading stills by the time they leave.  Kindergartners will learn their ABCs, letter sounds, and about upper- and lower-case letters.  They’ll even learn how to put sounds together to create words and will begin their journey to reading!  Plus they’ll start to express themselves, too, through beginning drawing and writing.  Some alphabet learning & reading activities:

     

Literature & A Love of Books
A Kindergartner’s reading and writing development will be supported by children’s books.  Through immersion in children’s literature, Kindergartners learn about elements of storytelling, critical thinking, and new vocabulary.  Some early literacy activities:

    

Fine Motor Skills
A lot of people think that Kindergarten is only about the academics, but it’s not.  Your Kindergartner will have many opportunities in Kindergarten to develop their fine motor skills, too.  Fine motor skills are the child’s use of small muscles for small movements, especially those in the fingers.  Activities like arts and crafts, playing with play dough, cutting with scissors, and drawing with a pencil all help Kindergartners with fine motor skill development.  Some fine motor skill activities:

     

Gross Motor Skills
But it’s not just about fine motor skills; gross motor skills are worked on in Kindergarten, too.   Your Kindergartner will learn to coordinate and strengthen large muscle movements using their torso, arms, and legs.  During their physical fitness class and even in their main classroom, Kindergartners will learn to balance, hop, gallop, skip, leap, and even kick a ball.  All of these activities will help develop skills they’ll use for a lifetime.  Some gross motor skill activities:

     

Social Skills & Emotional Development
It seems like Kindergarten is all about academic learning in today’s day and age, but we can’t forget about the social learning that happens.  Your child will learn so much through her relationships with the other children and adults in her school.  Your child will learn to interact with people who are different and learn how to react in various social environments.  This will be great for emotional control and development, too.  Some social and emotional development activities:

    

Looking for more detailed information about what kids learn in Kindergarten?  The National PTA has great printable parent guides on how to support kids for success in each grade.

Have a little one entering Kindergarten?  Or have your kids already been through it?  Is there anything you would add to this list?  Share in the comments below!

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