I've spent nine years running Einstein Daycare in Brooklyn, where I've watched more than 900 kids grow from toddlers to kindergartners. I also homeschool my own three children, and my youngest is 3.5, right at the age when parents start wondering: is my child ready for kindergarten? This kindergarten readiness checklist is the one I actually use, both at the daycare and at home. I'll walk through the skills that matter, how to tell when a gap is normal versus worth addressing, and a practical plan to build readiness over the next several months.
This checklist comes from nine years of running a preschool and homeschooling three kids. It covers four skill areas: literacy, math, social-emotional, and self-care.
What Kindergarten Readiness Actually Means
Most parents hear "kindergarten readiness" and picture a child who can count to 100 and write their name in clean block letters. That's not really the bar. Readiness is a mix of academic, social, self-care, and physical skills. Most kindergarten programs weigh them more evenly than parents expect.
After watching hundreds of children move through our daycare and into kindergarten, I see a clear pattern. The kids who struggle in their first year almost never struggle because they don't know enough letters or numbers. They struggle because they can't sit through a group activity, follow basic instructions without one-on-one attention, or handle the emotions that come with a full school day away from home.
Parents tend to overestimate the academic bar and underestimate how much social-emotional readiness matters. The National Association for the Education of Young Children defines readiness the same way: it's a blend of social, emotional, and cognitive skills, not just letter and number knowledge. A four-year-old who can separate from a parent, share toys with a peer, and follow two-step directions is more prepared for kindergarten than one who can recite the alphabet but falls apart during circle time.
Academics matter too. But the foundation is self-regulation and basic independence. Once a child has those, the kindergarten readiness skills on any checklist come faster with regular practice.
The Kindergarten Readiness Checklist
Below is the checklist I use at Einstein Daycare and with my own kids. I've organized it into four skill areas. Your child doesn't need to check every single box. Think of this as a map showing where they stand, not a pass-or-fail test.
Language and Early Literacy
- Letter recognition: Recognizes most uppercase letters, with some lowercase
- Name writing: Can write their first name (messy is fine)
- Sentence structure: Speaks in full sentences of five to six words
- Following directions: Follows two-step directions ("pick up your cup and put it on the table")
- Story comprehension: Enjoys being read to and can retell a simple story in their own words
Letter recognition gets the most attention from parents, but sentence structure and listening are what teachers notice first. A child who follows directions and describes their day in full sentences is ahead of the game, even if they still mix up a few letters.
If your child loves books and stories, consider adding structured reading practice. The Kindergarten Reading Bundle (8 Books) covers phonics, sight words, and reading comprehension at an age-appropriate pace.
Math and Problem Solving
- Counting: Counts to 20 (with one-to-one correspondence up to 10)
- Number recognition: Recognizes numbers 1 through 10
- Sorting: Sorts objects by color, shape, or size
- Comparing: Understands "more" and "less"
- Shapes: Recognizes basic shapes (circle, square, triangle, rectangle)
Counting is the obvious skill, but sorting and comparing are just as important. When your child looks at two piles of blocks and tells you which has more, that's early math reasoning at work.
You don't need flashcards for this. Count the grapes on their plate at lunch. Sort laundry by color. Ask "which pile has more?" during cleanup. These everyday moments build the same skills that PreK and kindergarten math workbooks cover in a more structured format.
Social and Emotional Skills
- Separation: Can separate from a parent without major distress
- Sharing: Takes turns and shares with other children
- Group instructions: Follows basic group instructions
- Verbal expression: Expresses needs with words, not just tears or physical reactions
- Social interest: Shows interest in playing with other kids
This is the area where I see the biggest gaps at our daycare, and it's the one parents ask about the least. Separation anxiety is the single most common issue in the first month of kindergarten. Children who have practiced being away from their parents in safe, short doses (playdates, co-ops, daycare, grandparent visits) handle the transition much better.
If your child can say "I'm frustrated" instead of throwing a toy, they're building exactly the kind of emotional vocabulary that kindergarten teachers depend on. Practice naming feelings at home. It makes a real difference.
Self-Care and Physical Skills
- Bathroom independence: Uses the bathroom independently
- Hand washing: Washes hands without help
- Dressing: Puts on a jacket and manages shoes (tying is not expected)
- Pencil grip: Holds a pencil or crayon with some control
- Scissor use: Uses scissors to make basic cuts
These skills don't show up on most readiness lists, but they shape a child's confidence on day one. A kindergartner who can use the bathroom alone, wash their hands, and zip their own jacket feels capable. That feeling of independence carries into everything else they do at school.
Pencil grip and scissor use develop at different rates, so don't worry if those lag behind. Coloring, playdough, and simple craft projects all build hand strength over time.
When to Worry and When to Relax
Parents often look at a kindergarten readiness checklist and panic over the boxes their child can't check yet. My honest take after nine years of watching kids grow: most "gaps" at age four close on their own by five. Children develop at wildly different speeds. A child who is behind in one area at 4.5 may be caught up in that same area six months later.
Some red flags do deserve a conversation with your pediatrician.
Talk to your pediatrician if your child is not speaking in sentences by age four, cannot follow any basic instructions, shows no interest in other children, or has lost skills they previously had. Early evaluation leads to early support, and early support works.
For a full list of what to watch for at this age, see the CDC's developmental milestones for 4-year-olds.
Normal variation looks like this: one four-year-old writes their name but can't count past 10. Another counts to 30 but has no interest in letters. A third can't do either but tells elaborate stories and manages emotions better than most adults. All three of those children are developing on track.
The "late birthday" question comes up every year at our daycare. If your child has a summer or early fall birthday and seems young for their age, waiting a year is a legitimate option. I've seen kids benefit from that extra time more often than not. The American Academy of Pediatrics has a helpful guide on this decision. Talk to your child's teacher or pediatrician if you're unsure, but trust your gut too. Nobody knows your child better than you do.
How to Build Kindergarten Readiness Skills at Home
A kindergarten readiness checklist tells you where your child stands, but the real question is what to do about the gaps. The key is consistency over time, not intensity at the last minute.
The simplest approach works best: read aloud for 15 minutes every day. Count objects during meals and errands. Let your child dress themselves, even when it takes three times longer than doing it yourself. Schedule playdates or group activities where they practice sharing and taking turns.
For structured practice, 10 to 15 minutes of workbook time each day at age four builds something more valuable than letter knowledge. It builds the habit of sitting down, focusing on a task, and finishing it. That single habit is the biggest predictor of a smooth kindergarten transition, based on what I see year after year at Einstein Daycare.
I'm doing this right now with my youngest, who is 3.5. We spend about 10 minutes each morning on a workbook page before free play. Some days the focus is there; some days it's not. The point isn't perfection. The point is making "sit down and practice" a normal part of the day so it doesn't feel foreign when a teacher asks the same thing in a classroom.
The PreK Ultimate Bundle (10 workbooks for $179.99) covers math, ELA, science, and social studies at a preschool level. That comes out to about $18 per workbook, which is solid value if you want one set covering all four subjects.
A few more daily habits that build readiness without formal lessons:
- Small responsibilities: Give your child tasks like setting the table, feeding a pet, or putting away shoes. Independence grows through practice.
- Offer choices: Let them decide: "Do you want the red cup or the blue cup?" Decision-making builds confidence.
- Board games: Play games that require turn-taking. Candy Land and Hi Ho Cherry-O teach patience and basic counting at the same time.
- Limit screens: Cut back on screen time in the months before kindergarten. Face-to-face interaction builds the social skills that screens can't replicate.
A Simple 6-Month Readiness Plan
Start six to twelve months before kindergarten, not four weeks before. Readiness is built through daily habits, not a crash course.
If kindergarten is six months away, this framework will keep you on track. Parents often ask me what should a 4 year old know before kindergarten, and they feel better once the timeline is laid out.
Months 6 and 5 before kindergarten: Assess where your child stands using the kindergarten readiness checklist above. Read through each category and note which skills are strong and which need practice. Starting early means you have time, so there's no reason to stress.
With 4 and 3 months to go: Pick one or two gap areas and focus your daily practice there. If letters are weak, read more and point out letters on signs, packages, and books. If counting is the gap, make it part of meals and walks. Add 10 minutes of structured workbook practice each day.
Final 2 months: Layer in social practice. Schedule playdates, visit a library story time, or attend a co-op group. If your child will ride a bus, rehearse the morning routine: getting dressed, eating breakfast, shoes on, out the door by a set time.
The final month: Visit the school or meet the teacher if your district allows it. Read a few children's books about starting school. Keep daily practice light and positive. Your child is as ready as they're going to be, and the confidence you show matters more than any last-minute review.
Choosing the Right Practice Materials for PreK and Kindergarten
Once you know your child's strengths and gaps, pick materials that match. The PreK Ultimate Bundle ($179.99 for 10 workbooks) covers all four subjects at a preschool level, and every question includes a video explanation. For kids closer to kindergarten entry, the Kindergarten Ultimate Bundle ($199.99 for 10 workbooks) picks up right where the PreK set leaves off, and you can browse all options in the Ultimate Bundles collection.
The children who thrive in kindergarten aren't the ones who knew the most on day one. They're the ones whose parents gave them steady, low-pressure practice in the months before.
