Before entering kindergarten, most children should be able to recite the alphabet and count to 10 without help. By focusing on just one letter each week, students learn what sound a letter makes via pictures of objects that start with that letter. Children will also learn how to write letters and numbers, with the goal of writing their names in proper upper and lower case style by the time kindergarten begins.
Children should be able to recognize the colors red, purple, yellow, blue, orange, green, brown and black during their last year of preschool. Preschoolers may also learn these colors as their first sight words and be able to identify them when they see them spelled out. Additionally, a preschool instructor will teach shapes to the class. Students should be able to recognize squares, triangles, circles, ovals and diamonds by the end of the year.
Graduating preschoolers should know the four seasons, basic directions like up, down, under, over and middle, as well as the days of the week in order. They should also be taught to memorize their address and parents' cell phone numbers. Problem solving skills are taught as well, via simple puzzles and toys like LEGOs that allows the child to build and discover where objects belong. A preschooler's fine motor skills should be developed enough so they are able to cut on lines and hold a pencil correctly.
Students should feel confident and excited about school before entering kindergarten. They can develop confidence by learning how to share and take turns while playing. Children should be able to talk in complete sentences and initiate conversations with both peers and adults. While not all children will possess every one of these skills before finishing preschool, it should be goal and a foundation to build upon when kindergarten begins.