Kindergarten Readiness: 3 Ways To Make Sure Your Preschooler Is Ready For The Transition

Going to school for the first time is a milestone that you and your child will never forget. However, you know that there are still many things your child needs to learn this year if they are going to succeed in kindergarten. From literacy development to reigning in their behavior, you can use these strategies to get your child where they need to be by the time they are done with their pre-kindergarten program and ready to head off to school.

Promote Learning with At-Home Activities

For preschoolers, the world is one big classroom, and you can use their natural curiosity to teach little lessons throughout the day. Literacy skills, such as letter recognition and writing can be weaved into your daily routine when you help your child write thank you cards or point out words on your shopping list at the grocery store. Many simple science and math lessons can be done spontaneously. Help your child count how many apple slices they have at snack time or put a celery stick in colored water to see what happens. These early learning experiences will pique your child's interest about what else there is to explore in the world.

Encourage Independence

Kindergarten teachers do their best to meet every child's needs. However, your child should be able to do some things for themselves such as toileting, putting on a jacket and eating properly at the table. At home, you can teach these skills during your daily routine. Kids in pre-kindergarten programs also practice these skills through helper jobs and play activities designed to teach skills such as how to button a shirt. When you make independence a priority, your child will be better able to manage simple tasks for themselves when the teacher cannot provide immediate assistance.

Partner With Your Child's Preschool Teacher

A preschool teacher's goal is to see each child in their class head off for school with confidence and the skills they need to succeed. For this reason, they employ a variety of strategies that you can also use at home. Ask your child's teacher what they do in pre-kindergarten programs to prepare kids for school. This way, they can recommend book titles, behavior management strategies and at-home projects that you can do to form a connection between school and home.

As a parent, it is both exhilarating and a little scary to send your child off to kindergarten for the first time. Yet, you can ease those first-day jitters by making sure your child is prepared. By providing support in preschool and at home, you can watch your child walk into their new school with confidence that they will have a wonderful first week.


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