In kindergarten, the major goal is to help your child become comfortable in school. They learn to get along with others, follow rules, and some of the basic skills needed to read, write, and do math.

Some of the things your child will learn this year will be to:

Recognize and use rhyming words.

Begin reading words by using initial consonant sounds and such sound patterns as -an and -at (fan, man, can) and (sat, rat, pat).

Recognize a few frequently used sight words such as: the, and, is.

Capitalize the first and last name of a person and the word "I".

Count, recognize, and write the numbers up to 20.

Identify, draw, cut, and name squares, circles, triangles, ovals, diamonds, and rectangles.

Classify and group objects according to such characteristics as shape, color, size, texture, and so on.

Understand how people in communities work together.

Use their five senses to make simple scientific observations.