In-home kindergarten readiness and Pre-K tutoring in Dallas
Learning readinessEarly mathEarly writing and pencil gripLetters and soundsGetting ready for the classroom
Kindergarten readiness shows up in small moments at home. Your child sits at the table for a puzzle, follows a
direction, counts a few blocks, holds a crayon, or names a letter on a cereal box. The checklist below sorts those
moments into five groups, so you can see what your child already does and where to start.
We tutor children from Pre-K up, and younger children getting ready for Pre-K, one-on-one, in homes across Dallas
and nearby cities. Learning readiness and school
readiness are our specialty, and we teach them in short, hands-on activities with planned breaks.
Kindergarten readiness is having the learning habits and early skills a kindergarten classroom asks for, and
those skills come in two kinds. Learning readiness means sitting at a table, paying attention, following
directions, and working through a task. The early academic skills are counting, tracing, holding a pencil, forming
letters, and knowing letters and their sounds.
Parents often start with the letters and numbers, because they're the easiest part to see. The learning readiness
skills need the same attention. A kindergarten classroom asks children to sit for an activity, follow directions
given to the whole class, and finish what they started. When those habits come easily, a child has more attention
left for the letters and numbers.
Kindergarten readiness checklist
Use this list over a usual week. Check what your child does on their own or with a little help. Leave the rest
blank, because the blank ones show where to start.
Kindergarten readiness checklist
Child's nameDate
Use this list over a usual week. Check what your child does on their own or with a little help. Leave the rest
blank, because the blank ones show where to start.
What your checklist means, and where tutoring starts
It's common for a 4- or 5-year-old to have blanks on this list, since children pick up these skills at different
times. A blank box tells us what to teach next. If the first way we teach it doesn't fit your child, we change how
we teach it.
Look at learning readiness first. If that group has blanks, early sessions usually start there, and academic work
comes in as your child is ready. If it's mostly checked, sessions can start on counting, tracing, and letters and
sounds at your child's level.
Kindergarten readiness activities to try at home
Keep each one short, and stop while your child is still enjoying it.
Count things one at a time. Count stairs as you climb or crayons as they go back in the box, so each
number goes with one thing.
Point out letters. Name a letter on a sign or a cereal box, and say the sound it makes.
Keep crayons within reach. Drawing and coloring give small hands practice holding a crayon or
pencil. Our step-by-step guide to
pre-writingactivities has more to try.
Give one direction at a time. "Put your shoes by the door" is easier to follow than three steps at
once.
At the free consultation, we spend time with your child through a short, easy activity, and before we leave, we
set school readiness goals with you. Every Cedar Elm tutor is background checked and CPR certified.
How a readiness session runs for a 4- or 5-year-old
A 60-minute session for a young child is usually 8 to 10 short blocks of 5 to 10 minutes, each with a different
activity, and at least 2 breaks. Harder work comes first, while your child is fresh. The session ends on
an easy review so your child finishes on a win.
Picture a 4-year-old who can say the numbers in order but loses track when she counts a pile of pom-poms. After a
warm-up, her tutor lines the pom-poms up and has her slide each one across as she counts. Next comes tracing on a
worksheet made for her, then a break, then a letter game. If she's had enough before the end, her tutor asks for
one more task, something under 2 minutes. When she finishes it, her tutor praises her and gives her a break.
A new skill usually starts with things your child can hold, like pom-poms, blocks, and Play-Doh, and moves onto
paper once it's solid. Good work gets praise and small rewards. You get a session note after every session and a
progress report every month.
Telling time starts with words before clocks. Your tutor uses words like first, next, before, after, and later,
and your child circles the picture that matches a sentence. Then come hour times, like one o'clock matched to a
picture of lunch, then half hours, then skip counting around the clock face, building up to telling time.
Moving into reading and math
As readiness settles in, sessions move further into reading and math. Both start at Pre-K: reading with letters
and sounds, and math with counting.
Many families come to us as their child finishes ABA and is ready for more schoolwork. With these children, we
usually start with learning readiness, counting, telling time, tracing, holding a pencil, and forming letters.
Our founder, Mariya Zakir, is a former Registered Behavior Technician (RBT). She spent a year working one-on-one
with autistic children at an ABA clinic and 3 years tutoring at a tutoring center. The short activities, planned
breaks, and praise in our sessions are ABA-informed strategies she learned at the clinic. Cedar Elm is a tutoring
service, not an ABA provider, and tutoring runs alongside any ABA, speech therapy, or OT your child still receives.
If a visual schedule or "first, then" already works for your child, tell us, and your tutor can use it too.
Readiness tutoring for kids with ADHD and autism
For some young children with ADHD or autism, the work begins with learning readiness. Short blocks, planned
breaks, and hands-on materials let a child practice focus in small pieces. If your child is nonverbal or
communicates in their own way, your tutor uses the consultation and the first few sessions to learn how they
communicate and show what they know. We've worked with nonverbal children, and we also work with children who
have an IEP or a 504 plan.
If your child reads every word but can't tell you what happened, comprehension may need to start smaller. These steps run from one sentence and a picture to written answers, with activities for home.
Writing takes hand strength, a steady grip, and the lines and circles that letters are made of. Here's how to practice each step at home, and when to ask an occupational therapist.
Questions parents ask about kindergarten readiness
What should a child know before kindergarten?
Before kindergarten, it helps if a child can sit at a table for a short activity, follow simple directions, and finish a small task, and has started on counting, pencil grip, and letters and sounds. The learning habits matter as much as the letters, because a kindergarten classroom asks children to work at a table and follow directions given to the whole class.
What is kindergarten readiness?
Kindergarten readiness is having the learning habits and early skills a classroom asks for: sitting at a table for a short activity, following directions, and finishing a task, along with first steps in counting, holding a pencil, and letters and sounds. The checklist on this page sorts these skills into five groups you can check at home.
How do I know if my child is ready for kindergarten?
Use the checklist on this page over a usual week, and look at learning readiness first: sitting at a table for a short activity, following a simple direction, and finishing a small task. Blank boxes are common and show where to start. At the free consultation, your tutor can also see where your child is.
Can a 4- or 5-year-old sit through a 60-minute tutoring session?
Your child isn't asked to sit for the whole hour at once. The hour is usually planned as 8 to 10 short activities of 5 to 10 minutes, with at least 2 breaks, with hands-on materials like pom-poms and blocks to hold and move. When your child hits their limit, your tutor asks for one more very short task, praises the finish, and gives a break.
What does a Pre-K or kindergarten tutor work on?
A Pre-K or kindergarten tutor works on learning habits and the first steps in reading, writing, and math. With us, that means learning readiness, counting, colors and shapes, telling time, tracing, pencil grip, letter formation, writing their name, first words and sentences, and letters and sounds. Your tutor starts at your child's level and adds the next skill as each one settles.
How much does kindergarten readiness tutoring cost?
Each session is 60 minutes in your home, priced per session, and the current rate is on our pricing page. The price includes custom materials made for your child, a session note after every session, and a monthly progress report. You choose how many sessions a week, billing is monthly or every two weeks, and the first consultation is free.
We tutor in your home in Dallas and nearby cities: Plano, Richardson, Garland, Carrollton, Addison, Farmers Branch, Irving, Coppell, Grapevine, Lewisville, The Colony, Little Elm, University Park, and Highland Park. Because we come to you, your child learns at a familiar table. Sessions run Saturday through Thursday, by appointment.
How to start kindergarten readiness tutoring at home
Step 1
We contact you by phone or email to find a time for your consultation.
Step 2
We visit your home to learn about your child and your goals.
Step 3
Together we choose session times and agree on what progress looks like for your child.
