Is My Child Ready for Preschool?

  • Separates from parents without difficulty
  • Maintains attention to classroom activities
  • Makes eye contact with adults
  • Independently chooses activities of interest
  • Behavior is easily redirected
  • Uses words to express wants and needs versus using actions/aggressive behavior
  • Able to use words to tell stories, share ideas and express feelings
  • Plays by him or herself
  • Plays next to a peer
  • Cooperates when playing in a group
  • Takes turns
  • Shows concern for friends
  • Helps friends when needed
  • Adapt easily to change of routine
  • Recognizes first name when written
  • Able to print first name
  • Able to print last name
  • Recite the ABC’s
  • Able to name capital letters
  • Able to name lowercase letters
  • Knows letter sounds
  • Identifies rhyming words (ie, cat / hat)
  • Able to count to 10
  • Identifies numbers 1-10
  • Identifies shapes
  • Knows their colors
  • Understand concepts of over, under, above, below and through
  • Identifies all the parts of the body
  • Identifies all 5 senses (sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing)

Gross Motor Skills

  • Navigate a set of stairs with alternating pattern
  • Catching a large ball with hands only from 5 feet away
  • Jumps forward 26 inches
  • Throws a ball overhand to hit target 5 feet away
  • Hops 3-5x on each foot
  • Gallop 10 feet
  • Skips 8 feet
  • Rides a 2 wheeled bike with training wheels
  • Catches a small ball with hands only from 5 feet away
  • Pumps self on swing
  • Able to jump over a partner turned rope
  • Jumps over 10-inch hurdle
  • Imitates 4 positions
  • Stands on one foot for 10 seconds
  • Performs 10 jumping jacks with coordination
  • Rides a 2 wheeled bike without training wheels

Fine Motor / Self Help Skills

  • Traces around the edges of basic shapes
  • Copies a horizontal line and circle
  • Makes continuous cuts with child-safe scissors
  • Dresses self with help with fasteners
  • Can put on/ take off coat
  • Puts shoes on correct feet
  • Fastens large buttons
  • Brushes own teeth
  • Draws a person with 3 different body parts
  • Cuts a piece of paper in half with scissors
  • Uses restroom independently
  • Puts socks on correctly
  • Traces simple shapes (ie, circle, square, triangle, rectangle)
  • Draws simple shapes (ie, circle, square, triangle, rectangle)
  • Cuts out simple shapes (ie, circle, square, triangle, rectangle)
  • Cuts on a line
  • Holds scissors correctly
  • Zips most zippers
  • Prints first name
  • Draws a person with 6 or more different parts
  • Cuts well with scissors
  • Uses pincer grasp with pencil
  • Shows hand preference

Language / Social Skills

  • Follows simple 3-step related commands ( ie, get your coat off the hook, put it on and get in line)
  • Begins to use adjectives for color and size
  • Responds to “wh-“ questions (who, what, where, when, why)
  • Asks many questions
  • Uses most speech sounds correctly
  • Will put toys away when asked
  • Will follow directions to get own items like pencil, book, coat
  • Appropriate eye contact
  • Pretend plays
  • Initiates simple greetings
  • Does well with sharing and taking turns
  • Asks for permission
  • Can carry a plot when telling a story
  • Understands time concepts (yesterday, today, first, then, next, last week)

Through steady improvement, your child can attain a boost of confidence.

Help your child find new levels of independence with pediatric therapy in Cincinnati and Dayton, OH.