Kindergarten Readiness

OPL librarians love storytimes. We miss them and our patrons so much while we’re closed! Along with the fun of reading and singing and dancing and bubbles, there is a lot of intentional skill building incorporated into every storytime we present.

Storytime is also a time to help kids and their families prepare for the future steps of attending school and learning to read. Library staff are hard at work now finding ways to bring the same experiences to our families at home.

If you head over to OPL’s YouTube channel, you’ll find virtual storytimes and great tips in our Helping Your Child Be Ready-to-Read video series, all of which can help in recreating storytimes at home.

OPL staff have also spent time researching resources for you that go beyond that. The following activities are intended to help your kids stay on track in preparing for kindergarten and include guidelines on important developmental milestones.

The resources are grouped into four main categories: colors, numbers, shapes, and building fine motor skills. The activities listed are all free, and should be re-creatable with items you can find around the house. Several do require access to a printer.

If you want more suggestions, need to renew your library card, or just want a chance to talk to a librarian directly, OPL is still here. While the libraries are closed, staff are available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both online through AskOPL and by phone at 402.444.4800.