Family guide · Kindergarten
Kindergarten readiness: what to practice before the first day
Getting ready for kindergarten is mostly about everyday skills: asking for help, listening to a story, counting a few objects. Here is how kindergarten age works in four states, what families who speak another language at home should know about the home language survey, and a list to practice at home.
Something to try
Rehearse the first morning
A week before school starts, walk through the morning together: getting dressed, opening the lunchbox, using the bathroom alone and saying their full name. Practice asking for help in the language the teacher will use: “Can you help me, please?”
Section 01
Kindergarten age depends on the state
Kindergarten is the first year of elementary school, before first grade, and most children start at 5. Each state sets the birthday cutoff. Four examples:
California: 5 on or before September 1 (California Education Code, sec. 48000).
Texas: 5 on September 1 (Texas Education Code, sec. 25.001).
Florida: 5 on or before September 1 (Florida Statutes, sec. 1003.21).
New York City: children start kindergarten in September of the year they turn 5, so some start at 4 (NYC Public Schools).
In another state, ask your school district or search for your state’s “kindergarten age requirement”.
Section 02
If you speak another language at home
When you enroll your child, the school may ask which languages are spoken at home. In Texas it is required: every student entering a public school for the first time, from pre-K, gets a home language survey signed by a parent, in English and in a language the parent understands. If it lists a language other than English, the school assesses the child. That survey is the only one for the child’s whole time in Texas public schools, and it can only be corrected within two weeks of first enrollment, before the English assessment (Texas Administrative Code, title 19, sec. 89.1215). Read it carefully and answer honestly: the assessment tells the school whether your child needs English support.
Section 03
A practical list
Self-care: uses the bathroom alone, washes hands, opens a lunchbox, puts on a jacket.
With others: waits for a turn, asks for help, says how they feel.
Listening: sits for a short story and answers a question about it.
Early literacy: recognizes their name and some letters, plays with rhymes and first sounds.
Early math: counts a small group of objects, says which group has more, names basic shapes and colors.
No child has all of this on the first day. It is a list to practice, not a test.
Section 04
Your home language counts
You do not need to switch to English at home. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) say in their parent guide that parents should use the language they are most comfortable with, and that using the home language will not set children back at school. Everything on the list above can be practiced in Spanish.
Source: HealthyChildren.org, «Young Children Learning Multiple Languages: Parent FAQs», updated November 20, 2025.
Section 05
Where Ziippi fits
Ziippi is a preschool app for ages 2 to 5 in English or Spanish, chosen for each child: numbers, letter sounds, colors and shapes, tracing and feelings, with every instruction read aloud. It does not follow any state or district program.
In English, your child practices numbers, letters, colors and shapes, tracing and feelings, and in Speak learns first words in Spanish. In a profile set to Spanish, the spoken instructions are in Spanish and are not translated.
Frequently asked questions
What age does kindergarten start in the US?
Usually at 5, by a birthday cutoff that each state sets. In California, Texas and Florida the cutoff is September 1.
What is transitional kindergarten (TK)?
A year before kindergarten offered in California. Schools must admit every child who turns 4 on or before September 1.
Should I speak English at home before kindergarten?
The AAP and ASHA parent guide recommends using the language you are most comfortable with and says the home language will not set children back at school.
What language are Ziippi’s activities in?
English or Spanish, chosen for each child, with every instruction read aloud. In English, all six areas are open, and in Speak your child learns first words in Spanish.
How does the subscription work?
It is bought through the App Store or Google Play. Eligible accounts get a trial when they confirm in the store; then the plan is charged and renews automatically unless you cancel in the store before the renewal date.
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