Visual recognition of certain things is a key concept for children in kindergarten, and one that will serve the basis for more complicated skills, such as reading and math. By the end of kindergarten, a child should be able to recognize and name a list of basic colors, like red, yellow, blue, green, orange, black, brown, purple and white. In addition, a child should be able to recognize his own name, as well as a number of shapes, such as: square, triangle, rectangle and circle.
Another important aspect of kindergarten is learning to use effective oral communication. By the completion of kindergarten, a child should speak in complete sentences, share ideas on a topic, use appropriate voice volume, speak with clarity and articulation and use an extensive vocabulary. A child should also be able to listen to a story and recount the names of main characters, the setting and the plot.
An understanding of letters and of the alphabet are important to laying the groundwork for reading. By the end of kindergarten, a child should be able to write his own name, as well as be able to recognize all letters of the alphabet and understand the sound that each letter makes. A child should also have an understanding of print, such as the concepts of letters, words and sentences, as well as be able to spell a list of 20 words that are from one to four letters long.
By the end of kindergarten, a child should be able to recognize and name all numbers from one to 20. A child should also demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of quantity, greater than, less than and basic addition and subtraction. Children should also proficiently count up from one to 20, and down from 20 to one.