Enrichment · Wellbeing

Getting ready for kindergarten,
one skill at a time.

Kindergarten readiness is as much about saying goodbye, taking turns and calming down as it is about letters. Mark twelve everyday skills as usually, sometimes or not yet, from what you have seen over a few weeks. Each not-yet comes with one way to practice at home, and a second observation a few months later shows what has grown.

Add an observationWhat you get

Observations

The worked example is made up: one child observed in April and again in October, and another observed by a preschool teacher. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Enrichment · WellbeingFree

What you finish with
A record per observation: a child code, date, age in months, who observed, twelve skills marked usually, sometimes or not yet and notes. Counts each mark; gives a practice idea for every not-yet; shows skills seen usually from the first observation to the latest for each child; suggests raising it at the next pediatric visit when five or more are not yet. No total score, no cut-off, no diagnosis.
Who it is for
Parents and caregivers of three- to five-year-olds, and preschool and pre-K teachers.
Format
Browser checklist with a saved record per observation. Prints one observation, all of them or a blank checklist; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Wellbeing space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Watch for a few weeks, not one day.
  2. Mark each skill usually, sometimes or not yet.
  3. Pick one or two practice ideas to try.
  4. Observe again in two or three months.
  5. Bring the printout to a pediatric visit or a teacher conference if you want to talk it over.

Add an observation

Readiness skills

What “not yet” means hereUsuallyYou see it most daysNothing to do but noticeitSometimesIt shows up with help oron good daysKeep practicing ineveryday momentsNot yetA practice idea for homeappearsSeveral not yet: mentionit at the next pediatricvisitWhat “not yet” means hereUsuallyYou see it most daysNothing to do but notice itSometimesIt shows up with help or on good daysKeep practicing in everyday momentsNot yetA practice idea for home appearsSeveral not yet: mention it at the nextpediatric visit
There is no total score and no cut-off. Children reach these skills at different ages, and most grow a lot in the year before kindergarten.

Where the skills come from

The twelve skills draw on the CDC’s developmental milestones for four- and five-year-olds and on the social and emotional skills kindergarten teachers most often name: separating from a parent, following directions, taking turns, naming feelings and calming down with help.

Not a screening

This checklist has no norms behind it. If you are concerned about a child’s development, the pediatrician can do a standardized developmental screening, and every state has free early childhood evaluation through the public schools.

Sources

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Learn the Signs. Act Early: milestones by 4 and 5 years (revised 2022). cdc.gov/actearly.
  2. Zubler, J. M., et al. (2022). Evidence-informed milestones for developmental surveillance tools. Pediatrics, 149(3), e2021052138.
  3. Rimm-Kaufman, S. E., Pianta, R. C., and Cox, M. J. (2000). Teachers’ judgments of problems in the transition to kindergarten. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 15(2), 147 to 166.
  4. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B: Child Find and preschool evaluation through public schools.

The worked example is made up. Use initials or a code, not a name. This checklist is for noticing and practicing; it is not a screening or a diagnosis. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.