One of the major chapters in the development of a child is the transition from kindergarten to first grade.

A big part of this adjustment will be a child going from a kindergarten school day to a full school day.  Many kindergarten programs are a "half-day", meaning they are home soon after lunch time. First grade means a full day. This could also mean trepidation by the child early on. There will also be some tired and cranky days after school until the child gets used to the full-school day routine.

First grade is a time when a child builds on the educational foundation developed in pre-school and kindergarten. A first grade youngster will become self-sufficient in the areas of reading and writing. This will also be a time where new scholastic subjects like science and social studies will be introduced.

The increase in scholastic work means the child will need to have several basic skills going into the first grade. For reading and writing this means things like the following:

• Recognizes all the letters of the alphabet in order
• Associates letters and sound correctly
• Identifies words and constructs meaning
• Identifies basic sight words
• Can retell simple stories
• Reading and writing own name
• Writing familiar words

 For math:

• Names and writes numbers 0 through 20.
• Uses counting skills to add up to ten.
• Shows interest in solving math problems
• Knows the days of the week and months of the year
• Knows basic monetary values, like the value of a penny, nickel and quarter.

 For science:

• Knows that the sun supplies heat and energy to the Earth
• Knows basic weather patterns
• Understands how living things grow and mature

 For social studies:

• Follows rules and routines at home and at kindergarten
• Shows curiosity of a learner
• Participates and enjoys group activities
• Respects the rights and feelings of others

There are some things you can do during the summer before your child enters the first grade. Think of it as a summer of transition.

Kids will have to work longer in first grade compared to kindergarten. There will also likely be less working in small groups than there was in kindergarten. Try to maintain consistency during the summer yet also try and organize activities that depend the child do some work in a quiet area over a certain amount of time. This will give the child a chance to work on individual activities with a time limit, something likely to be part of the curriculum in first grade.

Be prepared and be patient and supportive when it's time for the big move to first grade.