Saint Louis Public Schools

ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS • EARLY CHILDHOOD DIVISION • 314-331-6150 •  801 N. 11TH, ST. LOUIS, MO 63101

Pre-Kindergarten Readiness Expectations

• Uses adults as resources (e.g., asks questions, requests materials). 
• Initiates conversation with familiar adults.
• Works cooperatively with others in a give-and-take manner.
• Uses peers as resources.
• Shares resources (e.g., toys, manipulatives) with others
• Shows sensitivity and respect for others (e.g., shares with others or offers comfort when someone is hurt or sad).
• Suggests appropriate solutions to conflicts (e.g., negotiates rules during play/work – who will go first, handles conflicts over materials by taking turns or playing together). 

LEARNING TO LEARN 

• Shows curiosity and interest (e.g., enjoys and notices new things in his/her environment).     
• Explores and tries new things (e.g., is willing to try new activities and explore new materials).              
• Takes responsibility for belongings (e.g., hangs up coat, puts materials away). 
• Makes choices. 
• Stays focused and productive while playing/ working independently. 
• Stays focused and productive while playing/working in a group. 
• Shows pride in accomplishments.    
• Copes with frustrations and failure.  
• Talks about what he/she is learning.             

CONVENTIONAL KNOWLEDGE      

• Tells first and last names.
• Knows how to contact an adult family member (e.g., knows a parent’s or grandparent’s home or work telephone number).               
• Knows age.
• Knows birth date (month and date). 
• Recognizes some basic shapes (circle, square, triangle, & rectangle).  
• Identifies basic colors (red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, & brown). 
• Counts by rote to 10.
• Recognizes and names some numbers to 10  (0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10).                                   

MATHEMATICS/PHYSICAL KNOWLEDGE       

• Classifies objects used in daily experiences (e.g., sorts knives, forks, and spoons; compares plastic dinosaurs; or identifies similarities and differences among beads).         
• Writes some numbers (0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10).                                         
• Uses numerical relationships to solve problems in daily life (e.g., uses numbers to take lunch count or to figure out  how many cookies are needed so that everyone can have one).
• Orders things according to relative differences (e.g. arranges dolls according to height or trucks according to size). 
• Makes one-to-one correspondences (e.g., when playing a game, understands that one means to move his/her marker one space). 
• Determines “same,” “more than” and “less than” by comparing (e.g., looks as his/her own and another child’s collections of buttons and says that he/she has more buttons than the other child). 
• Uses spatial relationships to solve mathematical problems (e.g., rearranges blocks so they can all fit in a container, solves simple puzzles).
• Experiments with objects to produce effects (e.g., when playing with objects in water, may predict which objects will float and which objects will sink).
• Explains own actions in manipulating objects (e.g., “the tower will fall if I put another block on top.”).                                              

SYMBOLIC DEVELOPMENT 

• Takes part in interactive play with others.                                      
• Uses play themes (e.g., pretends to be a fireman). 
• Represents ideas and feelings through movement (e.g., acts like a butterfly, airplane, or truck).             
• Creates or responds to music (e.g., claps hands to music, dances, or plays musical instrument).              
• Represents ideas through constructions (e.g., builds with blocks or other manipulative).                       
• Uses art (e.g., clay, paint, or crayons) to convey feelings and ideas                                              
• Talks about his/her creations (e.g. talks about illustrations or constructions).           

 COMMUNICATION        

• Uses language to communicate ideas, feelings, questions, or solves problems.                                            
• Uses language to pretend or create.                                   
• Responds to questions. 
• Follows directions.                                               
• Shows interest in books.                                     
• Uses picture cues and/or context cues to construct meaning from text (e.g., when being read to).                                          
• Exhibits book-handling skills (e.g., knows how to hold a book and understands the direction of print).                
• Reads environmental print (e.g., cereal boxes, logos, signs).                                          
• Responds to texts (e.g., talks about books, laughs, makes predictions, intones, questions, or compares).                             
• Identifies letters in the alphabet                        
• Recognizes that there is a relationship between letters and sounds (e.g., recognizes the sound of a letter or gives a word that starts with the letter).                     
• Recognizes that written spellings represent spoken words.                                           
• “Reads” simple books (e.g., easy beginning books or predictable books).                                     
• Scribbles with intended meaning.                                      
• Uses some letters in writing (e.g., letters from one name).                                             
• Uses letter-sound correspondence to write (e.g. invented spelling).                                               
• Uses a variety of resources (e.g., peers, books, environmental print) to facilitate writing.                       
• Shares writing with others (e.g., tells others about the intended meaning drawings and writing).
• Recognizes first name in print.
• Recognizes last name in print.                           

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

• Is physically active.                                             
• Demonstrates gross motor skills (e.g., running, jumping, climbing stairs, or skipping).                           
• Demonstrates fine motor skills (e.g., control of scissors or pencil).                                
• Appears to be healthy
• Practices personal hygiene