Lakeshore Learning Store Report Card

A new learning store has opened in our area, and we recently visited it. We came away with some Spanish language supplies, and are very excited to go back for their free craft Saturdays and to play more with their toys, especially the kitchen ones. Connor and Lex both went nuts for the cookie making set and the pizza set and the ice cream set...etc...

When I checked out, the cashier gave me a bunch of informational papers and flyers. One of them is a set of guidelines titled "What Your Child Should Know" that outlines what skills your child should have mastered before starting each grade from pre-K to 5th.

Before entering Preschool - which would be next year when Connor is 4 years old (right?) - Connor should have mastered the following:

• state his name, age and birthday (Connor can do this, limited to the birth month only)
• identify some colors and shapes (check)
• count from one to five (Connor can get to 11 currently)
• understand "same" and "different" (I haven't tested this, but I think he's got it)
• recognize some letters (we've been doing whole words, so I don't know)
  
• tell stories (check)
• express thoughts and needs vocally (check checkity check check)
• follow simple instructions (check)
• sit still while listening to a story (check)
• dress himself (we still need to work on him with shirts and buttons)
• use child scissors (check - he has been acting as our junk mail shredder lately)
• kick and throw a ball (CHECK!)
• play with other children and share toys (check)
• engage in pretend play (check)
• be comfortable in group settings (if soccer teams and library story times count - check)

The recommended product for this age group that I may buy is a learning-to-dress toy. We had a bear or something with buttons, zippers, velcro, shoelaces and more when I was a child, and we haven't bought anything like that for our boys. Maybe if I got one of those, Connor would have more practice with buttons and zippers and all that.

I think I'll start working on the Kindergarten readiness checklist for Connor, since he seems to be all checked off on this one.