Self-help
Drinks from an open glass, feeds themselves with hands or a spoon, tries to pull off socks and slippers.
Checklist
School readiness checklist for ages 2 to 5
When we asked teachers across 200 preschools what they wish children arrived with, almost nobody said reading or writing. They said: can eat and wash hands alone, can say what they need, can wait a little, can join a group. Use the lists below as a rough map, not a test. Children arrive at these in their own order.
Around 2 years
Language
Uses around fifty words and joins two, more water. Understands more than they can say.
Hands
Scribbles with a fist grip, stacks four or five blocks, turns board book pages.
Attention
Stays with one thing for five to ten minutes when it is their choice.
Social
Plays beside other children rather than with them. This is normal and expected.
Around 3 years
Self-help
Washes hands with reminders, mostly toilet trained in the day, tells you when they need to go.
Language
Short sentences, asks what and where, can be understood by an adult who does not know them.
Hands
Holds a crayon with fingers, copies a straight line and a circle, peels and places a large sticker.
Attention
Sits for a ten-minute story, follows a two-step instruction.
Social
Takes turns with help, starting to share, separates from a parent with some protest.
Around 4 years
Self-help
Manages the toilet alone, eats a full meal independently, carries their own bag.
Language
Tells a short story about their day, asks why constantly, knows first and family name.
Hands
Draws a person with a few parts, copies a square and a cross, cuts along a line with safety scissors.
Thinking
Sorts by colour and size, counts a small set with meaning, matches shapes.
Social
Plays pretend games with others, follows simple game rules, waits a short turn.
Around 5 years
Hands
Holds a pencil with three fingers, writes most capital letters and their own name, stays within lines.
Early reading
Knows most letter sounds, hears the first sound in a word, recognises their name in print.
Early maths
Counts to twenty, matches number to quantity up to ten, sees simple patterns.
Attention
Works at one task for fifteen to twenty minutes, finishes something they did not choose.
Social
Asks an adult for help, expresses frustration in words more often than with hands.
What is worth a conversation, and what is not
Not worth worrying about: being six months behind on one line, refusing to write, still needing a nap, being shy in a large group. Worth mentioning to your paediatrician: no words by two, not being understood at all by three, losing skills they clearly had, no interest in other children by four, or an ongoing struggle to hold anything with fingers rather than a fist.
If you want a structured way to work on the hand skills and attention lines, our Little Learners Tinker Kit covers ages 2 to 4 and the My First Pre-Writing & Alphabet Workbook covers 3 to 5. For preschools buying in volume, see bulk orders.
Made for curious little minds.
Tinker Cubs makes screen-free, reusable activity kits and workbooks for ages 2 to 5, built with teachers across 200 Indian preschools.