This is a series on readiness skills and resources for preschoolers taking the next “Big Step” to kindergarten.

This week I want to look at mathematic concepts and science. Behind each skill is a website that has worksheets to print or online games to play. This is the last in the series. 🙂

Social Studies

• Recognizes basic traditions such as birthdays
• Understands that people live in different parts of the worlds and have different customs and traditions
• Explores simple maps and visual representations of neighborhoods or communities (Making a map)

Mathematics Concepts

• Compares the size of groups of objects using language such as “more,” “less” and “same as” (kidzone website is a great resource!)
• Arranges objects in size order (big to small, or small to big) (havefunteaching has answer keys for self checking if you want to set up a work station)
• Uses comparison words, like “bigger,” “smaller,” “heavier,” etc.
• Understands concepts of none, some and all and more than and less than
• Identifies and draws a square, circle and triangle (practice worksheets for shapes)
• Correctly counts four to ten objects (tlsbooks has a large variety of worksheets)
• Knows that the final number counted represents the total number of objects in a set
• Recognizes some numbers, 1 – 10 (FREE Number sense worksheets)
• Can distinguish numbers from letters, and understands that numbers relate to quantity
• Understands the effects of addition and subtraction

Science

• Shows interest and asks questions about objects and events observed in their environment (create a scavenger hunt list)
• Notices common properties and differences among objects and materials
• Knows some facts about common plants and animals, such as what they eat and baby names (Baby animal names online game)
• Recognizes some objects in the sky such as the sun, moon, clouds and lightning(Check out this adorable solar system lapbook)

Creative Arts & Music

• Recognizes and names basic colors (Colors and Shapes matching cards)
• Draws recognizable shapes and simple objects (see link above or Shapes and Colors worksheet)
• Tells a story with pictures
• Moves to a beat
• Explores with common musical instruments
• Enjoys improvising or copying musical patterns