Full Day Kindergarten
An exciting year awaits, filled with adventurous learning designed to enhance your child's growth and development. This very important year promises to be one filled with discovery and joy as your child works and plays in an environment that is warm, safe, and challenging. Creighton offers FREE full-day kindergarten to our families. Our full day program provides a deeper understanding of language arts, with a focus on the literacy elements of phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, science and social studies.
Qualifications and Registration
To register for Kindergarten, your child must turn 5 by August 31. To register, you will need:
- A certified copy of the pupil’s birth certificate; or an affidavit explaining the inability to provide a copy of the birth certificate. (A.R.S. §15-828)
- Current immunization records
- Proof of residency (see below for Arizona Department of Education Arizona Residency Documentation or Affidavit of Shared Residence Form)
- Parent/Guardian State issued Photo ID (or equivalent legal form of I.D. per Governing Board Policy JFAA)
- Withdrawal Form (If previously enrolled in an Arizona school)
- Guardianship/Custody Documentation (if applicable)
Kindergarten registration is open! Stop by your neighborhood school to fill out a registration packet and take a tour of the school. You can also register your child online by clicking this link: Click here for the online registration link.
Early Entry Kindergarten Testing
Any child turning 5 years old between September 1 - December 31 qualifies to take the early entry test. The student must be tested within the first 30 days of school. Testing is offered at the Creighton Family Resource Center starting June 1 - September 13 of the current school year. Call to schedule your appointment.
Creighton Family Resource Center
2052 N. 36th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85008
(602)381-4605
Email: FamilyResourceCenter@Creightonschools.org
Skills Required at the Beginning of Kindergarten
You may want to review this list and see if there is anything else you would like to teach your child before those first days of school. Keep in mind that this is just a guideline; the exact expectations may vary from program to program.
- Identify some letters of the alphabet
- Grip a pencil, crayon, or marker correctly (with the thumb and forefinger supporting the tip)
- Use scissors, glue, paint, and other art materials with relative ease
- Write his first name using upper- and lowercase letters, if possible
- Count to 10
- Bounce a ball
- Classify objects according to their size, shape, and quantity
- Speak using complete sentences
- Recognize some common sight words, like “stop”
- Identify rhyming words
- Repeat his full name, address, phone number, and birthday
- Play independently or focus on one activity with a friend for up to ten minutes
- Manage bathroom needs
- Dress himself
- Follow directions
- Clean up after himself
- Listen to a story without interrupting
- Separate from parents easily
Don’t panic if your child hasn’t nailed everything on the list — they’ll learn a lot in kindergarten. What’s more important is to wean them from relying on you to do things they could do themselves, such as zipping a jacket or tying their shoes. Give them the chance to show you what they can do — you might be in for a few surprises!
Skills Acquired During Kindergarten
Although the curriculum may vary from school to school, general goals focus on children building strong pre-reading skills, practicing letter formation, enhancing listening and communication skills, getting an introduction to basic math concepts, and acquiring an active interest in the world. Generally speaking, your child will be able to:
Language Arts
- Recognize and write all of the letters of the alphabet in upper- and lowercase forms
- Write their first and last name
- Learn sounds corresponding to vowels and consonants
- Use initial consonant sounds and sound patterns to read words (for example, f + an = fan; r + an = ran)
- Identify several sight words, including names of colors
- Recognize and use rhyming words
- Retell a story including details
- Put the events of a story in order
- Write simple sentences using sight words and phonics skills
Listening and Communication
- Listen attentively
- Raise hands or wait to speak
- Act on instructions and repeat spoken directions
- Engage in question-and-answer dialogue with classmates and teachers
- Work as a team on projects or problem-solving
Math
- Sort and classify objects using one or more attributes
- Recognize and write numbers to 30
- Count orally by ones, five, and tens
- Name ordinal numbers first through tenth
- Add and subtract using manipulatives (Cheerios, candy, etc.)
- Understand spatial relationships (top/bottom, near/far, ahead/behind)
- Compare quantities by estimating, weighing, and measuring
- Use graphs to gather information
- Recognize patterns and shapes
- Tell time to the nearest hour
- Count coins
- Recite the days of the week and months of the year