Free Kindergarten Resource
Is Your Child Ready for Kindergarten?
Download the free Newberry Academy Kindergarten Readiness Pack and get a simple look at the skills that can help your child begin kindergarten with confidence.
A simple readiness check for homeschool families
This pack gives you an easy way to look at important kindergarten readiness skills without pressure or complicated testing.
✓ Language readiness
✓ Early math readiness
✓ Fine motor skills
✓ Social readiness
✓ Parent tips and next steps
Enter your name and email below and we’ll send your free Kindergarten Readiness Pack.
What’s Included in the Kindergarten Readiness Guide?
Kindergarten readiness is about much more than knowing letters and numbers. This guide helps parents look at the whole child, recognize strengths, and identify skills that may benefit from a little more practice before or during kindergarten.
Language & Communication
✓ Speaking clearly enough to be understood
✓ Following two- and three-step directions
✓ Asking and answering questions
✓ Telling simple stories and describing experiences
✓ Expressing feelings with words
Reading & Writing Readiness
✓ Uppercase and lowercase letter recognition
✓ Beginning letter sounds and rhyming
✓ Recognizing and writing the child’s name
✓ Pencil control, tracing, drawing, and early writing
✓ Scissor and simple craft skills
Early Math Skills
✓ Counting to 20
✓ Recognizing numbers 1–20
✓ Counting objects accurately
✓ Shapes, patterns, sorting, and comparing
✓ Beginning addition concepts
Science & Discovery
✓ Observing nature and weather
✓ Identifying familiar plants and animals
✓ Using the senses to explore
✓ Making simple predictions
✓ Talking about observations and showing curiosity
Social & Emotional Development
✓ Playing cooperatively and sharing
✓ Waiting for a turn
✓ Handling disappointment
✓ Showing empathy and self-control
✓ Working independently and taking responsibility
Independence & Self-Help Skills
✓ Dressing and using the restroom independently
✓ Washing hands and managing belongings
✓ Opening lunch containers and zipping a coat
✓ Following routines and completing simple chores
✓ Asking for help appropriately
Physical Development
✓ Running, jumping, hopping, and balancing
✓ Throwing and catching a ball
✓ Climbing and using playground equipment safely
✓ Comfortable use of crayons and building materials
Parent Notes & Planning
✓ Space to record observations in each readiness area
✓ Identify your child’s greatest strengths
✓ Choose skills you would like to continue practicing
✓ Record practice ideas and improvement dates
Understand Your Child’s Readiness
Easy-to-Use Checklist
For each skill, parents can mark:
✓ Consistently
✓ Sometimes
✓ Not Yet
This makes it easier to see areas of strength while recognizing skills that are still developing.
Kindergarten Readiness Summary
The guide includes a summary section where parents can total responses across each developmental area and reflect on whether their child currently shows a strong foundation, growing skills, or areas where additional practice may be helpful.
More Than a Checklist
Parent Reflection
✓ Record three of your child’s greatest strengths
✓ Choose three skills to continue practicing
✓ Reflect on what your child enjoys learning
✓ Plan how to encourage learning at home
Practical Parent Support
✓ Frequently asked kindergarten-readiness questions
✓ Sample kindergarten learning routine
✓ Tips for creating consistent routines
✓ Ideas for encouraging reading, curiosity, and independence
Readiness Is a Guide, Not a Test
A child does not need to master every skill before beginning kindergarten. The purpose of this guide is to help parents recognize progress, understand current strengths, and find enjoyable opportunities for continued growth.
Help Your Child Begin Kindergarten with Confidence
Use the Kindergarten Readiness Guide to better understand your child’s development, celebrate what they already do well, and choose a few skills to strengthen through everyday learning, play, reading, conversation, and exploration.
Explore Kindergarten Curriculum Preschool Curriculum