Family guide · Pre-K
Pre-K learning games: what to practice the year before kindergarten
Pre-K is the year before kindergarten, usually at age 4. Here is what that year looks like in two states, what 4-year-olds typically practice with sounds, numbers and feelings, and short games for home, with or without a screen.
Something to try
A five-minute game for today
Play “I spy” with first sounds: “I spy something that starts with mmm.” Let your child guess, then switch roles. Use the sound, not the letter name: “mmm”, not “em”. If it is too hard, give two choices: “a mug or a spoon?”
Section 01
What pre-K is, state by state
Pre-K, or prekindergarten, is the year before kindergarten. Programs can be public or private, and the rules change from state to state. Two examples:
Texas: free public pre-K is for children at least 3 years old who meet one of the conditions in the law; the first one listed is being unable to speak and understand English (Texas Education Code, sec. 29.153).
California: schools must admit to transitional kindergarten (TK) every child who turns 4 on or before September 1 (California Education Code, sec. 48000).
Ask your school district what it offers for 3- and 4-year-olds.
Section 02
What 4-year-olds practice with sounds
The Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework, the federal reference for programs from birth to age 5, describes these steps. From 36 to 48 months, with help: hearing rhymes and noticing words that start the same way. From 48 to 60 months: counting the syllables in a word. By 60 months: saying the first sound of a word and knowing the sounds of several letters. Clap names at dinner (“Ma-ri-a” is three claps) and sort toys into two baskets by their first sound.
Section 03
Numbers in everyday play
Count the steps on the way up, set the table with one spoon per person, and ask “who has more?” with two small piles of crackers. Let your child touch each object as they count, then say the last number again: “one, two, three, four… four spoons”.
Section 04
Feelings and taking turns
In a classroom your child will wait for a turn, share materials and say what they need. Name feelings during the day (“you look frustrated: the tower fell”) and play short turn-taking games, like rolling a ball back and forth.
Section 05
Where Ziippi fits
Ziippi is a preschool app for ages 2 to 5 in English or Spanish, chosen for each child. A 4-year-old can count puppies and tap the number, hear the first sound of a word and tap its letter, trace a circle, or tell a sad face from an angry one. 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 is pre-K?
Usually 4, the year before kindergarten. Each state sets its own rules: in California, transitional kindergarten is for children who turn 4 on or before September 1.
Is pre-K free?
It depends on the state and the district. In Texas, free public pre-K is for children who meet a condition set in the law, such as not speaking or understanding English. Ask your district.
Should my 4-year-old be reading?
The Head Start framework describes children around 5 beginning to say first sounds and to know several letter sounds, not reading on their own. Share books and play with sounds.
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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