Stage 4 of 5 · Ages 5–6

KG 2 at home.

Reading short sentences, writing one of their own, number bonds, adding within 20, time, money and the science of everyday things.

Also called: Senior KG, Kindergarten, Year 1 readiness.

What this stage covers

  • Two-letter sounds (sh, ch, th, ee, oa…) and reading short sentences
  • Writing a sentence with a capital letter, finger spaces and a full stop
  • Number bonds to 10, adding and subtracting within 20
  • Counting in 2s, 5s and 10s, o'clock times, days of the week
  • Push and pull, materials, sound and light
Every day: 15 minutes of games, 15–20 minutes of one activity, and 5 minutes of your child reading to you.
Ready to move on when: Your child reads a short sentence on their own, writes one, and knows the pairs that make 10.
The units, in order

Work on one unit from each strand at a time.

Start at the top of each list. When your child can do most of a unit's checklist, move on to the next one in that strand.

Reading & talking

  1. 1 Two Letters, One Sound: sh ch th ngabout 4 weeks Read and hear the sounds sh, ch, th, ng, qu and ck in words. 🎮 Sound Hunt · Word Builder · Sound Start
  2. 2 Long Vowel Sounds: ai ee igh oa ooabout 5 weeks Read words with long vowel sounds such as rain, see, night, boat and moon. 🎮 Sound Hunt · Word Builder · Rhyme Time · Sight Words
  3. 3 Word Familiesabout 3 weeks Read and make rhyming families of words: -at, -an, -ig, -op, -ug, -ell. 🎮 Rhyme Time · Rhyme Families · Word Builder
  4. 4 Tricky Words 2about 4 weeks Read the next tricky words on sight: he, she, we, me, be, was, you, they, all, are, my, her. 🎮 Sight Words · Letter Match · Memory Match
  5. 5 Reading Sentencesabout 4 weeks Read short sentences and simple books aloud, and say what they mean. 🎮 Sight Words · Story Steps · Listen & Remember

Writing & pencil control

  1. 1 Writing a Sentenceabout 5 weeks Write a simple sentence with a capital letter, finger spaces and a full stop. 🎮 Trace It · Word Builder · Sight Words
  2. 2 Writing a Little Storyabout 4 weeks Plan a three-part story with pictures, then write a sentence for each part. 🎮 Story Steps · Word Builder · Sight Words

Numbers & shapes

  1. 1 Number Bonds to 10about 3 weeks Know all the pairs of numbers that make 10, and the pairs for 5. 🎮 Make the Number · Ten-Frame Fill · Add & Take Away
  2. 2 Adding and Subtracting to 20about 4 weeks Add and subtract within 20 by counting on, counting back and using number bonds. 🎮 Add & Take Away · Make the Number · Number Train
  3. 3 Counting in 2s, 5s and 10sabout 3 weeks Count in twos, fives and tens, and count to 100 in ones. 🎮 Counting Stars · Number Train · Pattern Parade
  4. 4 Measuring with Hands and Cubesabout 3 weeks Measure length using the same unit again and again (hand spans, blocks, paper clips) and compare results. 🎮 Size Safari · Counting Stars · Number Train
  5. 5 Time and Daysabout 3 weeks Order the parts of the day and the days of the week, and read o'clock times. 🎮 Day & Night · Story Steps · Number Match
  6. 6 Money and Shoppingabout 3 weeks Recognise coins, count small amounts and pay in a pretend shop. 🎮 Counting Stars · Make the Number · Add & Take Away

Science & our world

  1. 1 Push and Pullabout 2 weeks Say whether things move by a push or a pull, and see how to make them go faster, slower or stop. 🎮 Gravity Drop · Position Quest · Sink or Float
  2. 2 Materials and Waterabout 3 weeks Name what things are made of, and test which ones float, sink, soak up water or keep us dry. 🎮 Sink or Float · Hot & Cold Lab · Sort It Out
  3. 3 Sound, Light and Shadowsabout 2 weeks Make loud and quiet sounds, find where light comes from and make shadows. 🎮 Five Senses · Day & Night · Listen & Remember
  4. 4 Healthy Meabout 2 weeks Explain what keeps our bodies healthy: food, water, exercise, sleep and keeping clean. 🎮 Living World · Five Senses · Helper Heroes
  5. 5 Animals and Habitatsabout 3 weeks Describe different habitats (desert, ocean, forest, polar) and how animals are suited to them. 🎮 Living World · Eco Helpers · Hot & Cold Lab

Thinking & feelings

  1. 1 Puzzles and Logicabout 3 weeks Solve logic puzzles, explain their thinking, and keep trying when something is hard. 🎮 Odd One Out · Pattern Parade · Shape Detective · Focus Farm
  2. 2 Kindness and Teamworkabout 2 weeks Work with others to finish a task, share fairly, and fix a disagreement with words. 🎮 Feelings Friends · Helper Heroes · Focus Farm

All stages

Next stage: Ready for Class 1 →