I’m so excited to welcome author and former kindergarten teacher, Susan Case from Kindergarten and Preschool for Parents and Teachers, and thank her for today’s post!
Children are excited about starting school, yet also a little afraid. Starting school means changes in their daily routine including being away from familiar surroundings, learning new rules, and following directions from other adults. It’s natural to have doubts and fears about change. Talk to your child about what they can expect. Perhaps you can visit the school’s playground. Katie from Mommy with Selective Memory emailed me this concern:
“My Mom teaches PE at a local school and I love taking my daughter there to play. She is almost four and she adores seeing the older kids as she diligently tries to copy their every move. I was there last week for Kindergarten Field Day and we had so much fun watching the kids at their end-of-the-year celebration. However, as I was watching them, I was suddenly struck with a feeling of panic. It occurred to me that my daughter would be going to Kindergarten in a year and these kids seemed so much older. They could tie their own shoes, go to the bathroom by themselves and even knew how to navigate around the school without getting lost. My daughter would be one of the youngest in her class, so I know I need to make sure she is ready and that she isn’t the class baby. How can I do this?”
Ten Ways to Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten
1. Read Books Every Day. Without a doubt, this is the most important activity you can do to help your child develop language and reading skills. The 3 Rs of Reading are Repetition, Rhythm and Rhyme. Children enjoy books about their world and having books read over and over. Run your finger under words showing that reading is top to bottom and left to right. There are many interesting letter books to teach recognition and sounds. Visit your local library and perhaps your child can have his own card. Snuggle, bond, and cuddle while you share a love of reading.
2. Develop Fine Motor Skills and help your child Learn Letters the Sensory Way. It takes time, patience and practice to have a proper pencil grip. Model and praise often, offer large crayons and pencils, buy child safety scissors, and use playdough to develop muscles.
3. Print First Name with Only the First Letter Capitalized and Cure a Kinder Teacher’s Pet Peeve.
4. Follow 2 and 3-Step Instructions. “Please get your shoes and put them on.” Velcro is one of the greatest inventions ever. “Go to the bathroom, flush the toilet, and wash your hands, please.”
5. Manners: Model saying please and thank you and listening without interrupting. Talk to your child about raising their hand when they want to ask the teacher a question.
6. Social Skills: Playing with other children teaches children how to share, take turns, communicate, and problem-solve.
7. Help Your Child Take Responsibility: Encourage them to clean up toys and messes, dress and use bathroom by themself, get own drink and healthy snacks, and take responsibility for their actions.
8. Number Recognition and Concept: Help your child learn to count with concrete objects such as marbles, rocks, dolls, cars, beans, pasta. Play hopscotch then have your child place the correct number of items on each number.
9. Letter Recognition and Sounds: Words are everywhere in the environmental. Point to them and slowly sound words you see while taking walks, running errands, from grocery lists and cereal boxes. Label favorite items and places around the house. Encourage your child to trace over letters and numbers in chalk – then use a water gun, spray bottle or paint brush to trace over and erase, which also helps develop fine motor skills.
10. Build Self Esteem: Remember to praise your child often for their successes. Every day give them hugs and tell them you love them. Communicate, listen, and answer their seemingly endless questions. A curious child’s questions reflect their cognitive and emotional development.
Please understand that children do not have to be reading or able to tie their shoes before kindergarten. Learn more on Kindergarten Readiness. It may take six weeks for your child to adjust to school. Put them to bed early and share books. Enjoy their enthusiasm and discovery of new things and their creative ways to explore and learn. Sometimes love is spelled t-i-m-e.
You may be interested in the chapter “A Smooth Move to School” in my book: Kindergarten: Tattle-Tales, Tools, Tactics, Triumphs and Tasty Treats for Teachers and Parents. You can visit my blog at Kindergarten & Preschool for Parents & Teachers. You can visit Katie’s funny real-mom blog at Mommy with Selective Memory.
You may also be interested to know that Katie and Susan have co-authored The Happy Mommy Handbook: The Ultimate How-to Guide on Keeping Your Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy, Out of Trouble and Motivated to Learn
Cindy says
Hi Amanda! Thank you for this article. I can certainly use this for my preschool classes.
FYI–When I clicked on the link to Susan’s blog/website to visit and it gave me a “page not found” error.
Thanks again for everything that you do!
Cindy Schival
Cindy says
Oh, Amanda….I just read about you taking time away for the new baby. Please excuse my post earlier. Enjoy that new baby and congrats to your family!! Cindy
Susan Case says
Cindy – thank you for noticing the link. It is fixed now. Yes, congratulations to Amanda for her new buddle of joy (but lack of sleep).
Kristin @ Preschool Universe says
Great post and ideas. I’ll put that “only capitalize the first letter” one to use. Congrats on your new baby!
Eric Van Raepenbusch says
Great list! Totally agree! I was very excited to see what was at the top of the list!
Susan Case says
Yes, read / play , read / play is a win-win. Thank you so much for your comment.
tricia says
This is great, Susan! Our daughter starts kindergarten in a couple of months and I’ve been taking notes! 🙂
Susan Case says
Tricia – you are so sweet to comment. You might like my blog. It has lots of links to free educational resources on right sidebar.
Linda says
Timely, as our boy will be beginning kindergarten in August. Looks as if we’re doing the right stuff!
Susan Case says
Thank you Linda. I’m sure you are doing the right things if you read Not Just Cute blog. Love it. And I hope you’ll visit my blog: Kindergarten & Preschool for Parents & Teachers. Lots of free resources to help your child be prepared. Thank you so much for commenting.
Lynne Leblanc says
Susan I would love to read your blog on Kindergarten & Preschool For Parents & Children. Please direct me to it as I am not computer savvy. Thank u for your
time.
Malia {Playdough to Plato} says
Fabulous list!! I am so happy to see social skills and manners make the top ten. Many of my kindergarteners found those two skills really challenging at the start of the year.
I love your site and am excited to have discovered it. You have great stuff!
Susan Case says
Malia – thank you so much. You have a wonderful site too.
haneen says
great advice 🙂
Susan Case says
Thank you Haneen!
linda c. says
Love the list! One thing though; in our area, most school districts have adopted “Handwriting Without Tears” , an OT based curriculum which teaches preschoolers to use all caps before transitioning to lower case during Kindergarten, and uses small writing utensils to help with developing a proper pencil grip.
Susan Case says
I’m not an OT (occupational therapist) but have high regard for that profession. My daughter used the “Handwriting without Tears” program with her OT. The reason teachers emphasis the lower case letters is because most print is in the lower case and it is believed learning lower case first facilitates reading. I believe children learn gradually to have the correct pencil grip and that they are not able to handle the small size pencils until they can manage larger utensils. That is why I recommend sidewalk chalk and large crayons before moving down to the smaller size. Actually, much work must be done helping children develop gross motor skills, cross-over skills (with arms and hands crossing mid-line) then progressing to fine motor. Some children are ready much sooner than others. Thank you so much for your comment.
Susan Case says
Linda – I looked at the HWT site and they give the reason for teaching upper case letters first in printing: the letters are larger and more easily formed and the lower case letter is often made similarly. This makes sense. I think an exception could be made for a child’s first name so that they won’t have to relearn it when they are in first grade. (Just trying to help the first grade teachers out because they highly recommended this). Thank you for your comment.
Holly says
I loved this post! Found you on Pinterest! Thanks for sharing! ; )
Susan Case says
Holly – I am so glad you found this on Pinterest. I LOVE Pinterest. Amazing social networking available now making blogging so much fun. Thank you for commenting.
Jeanette says
The hardest thing for us was eating lunch within 30 minutes! Apparently you can practice this, but my child came home with only a few bites eaten and starving each day because she was too busy being 5 at lunchtime!
Susan Case says
No kidding! The children are so busy watching others and some are a bit overwhelmed. Lunch time can be very stimulating and interesting – so food is left uneaten. It will get better. Just keep talking to her about it. Maybe the teacher can ask a cafeteria worker to encourage her to eat. Thank you for commenting.
michael carrigan says
These are some great ways to prepare children for kindergarden,I have a 5 year old Hunter,and I know he will benifit from this,thanks.
Jessica Stanford says
Wow! Great list 🙂
Blessings,
Jessica Stanford
Mrs. Stanford’s Class Blog
Susan Case says
Jessica – I visited your blog – very nice! Following you already. Loved your wedding photos on your Twitter page. Thank you for commenting.
Jen @ Healthy...With a side of ranch says
My little man is turning 5 tomorrow and will be starting Kindergarten in the fall. I’m scared out of my mind to send him off in to the big, scary world; even though I know he will LOVE it. While reading this article, I realized that his preschool teachers and I have been doing a lot of this stuff on a daily basis with him. What a relief to discover that I’ve been doing something right!
Susan Case says
It is normal to be “scared out of my mind” to send your precious child to school. I think you’ll be reassured if you read my post “Kindergarten: Enroll or Wait – A Teacher’s View” http://kindergartenbasics.blogspot.com/2012/05/kindergarten-enroll-or-wait.html – or just go to my web and click on it on the right sidebar under my Top 10 Posts. Love your blog and thank you so much for commenting. Precious boy you have. Read books, play and enjoy your time together and he’ll be fine.
Vicki Hrabovsky says
As a kindergarten teacher, I thank you for this post. Most parents have no idea how much kindergarten has changed and all the things their children need to know before beginning kindergarten. May I please add, learning to eat your own lunch without help. That means, open your own baggie or tupperware dish, open ketchup, and mustard packages, open your own fruit cup, etc. As a teacher of 18 students, I do not have time to help everyone get ready to eat. Thank you for letting me share.
You have done a great job preparing your child. Wish we had more parents like you.
Susan Case says
You are so right. Lunch time seems like not enough time because the children are so interested in watching everybody else. It takes awhile for them to learn to eat during lunch! Also, teaching your child to say their first and last name loudly helps the cafeteria cashier – especially when kids have missing teeth. Thank you for your comment.
Fernanda says
Hum! I guess I´m the first one that felt a bit uncomfortable with this post. I really agree with you on most of what is suggested on the list. But I do worry about two things:
1. praising them as often as you can to build self esteem. Amanda posted many times valuable information about the hidden effects of praise on self esteem. Kissing and hugging them for what they are and praising the process rather than success or failure is – under my opinion- the safe path to build self esteem in the long run.
2. a more general tendency wanting to “show them the world” in order to be prepared for school (I mean, reading slowly and intentionally the ceral box, etc.) instead of appreciating the way our children discover the world on their own. Nothing bad about pointing at letters and numbers and reading them allowd. The hidden danger is our very clever kids will immediatly notice we are a bit worried about them, not completely sure they are good enough to enter kindergarten and learn there what they are expected to learn. My question would be, how are we preparing kindergarten for our children? I think parents should not feel responsible for that.
Of course, reading them books, allowing them to paint, play and explore, as well as helping them meeting friends and learning manners is important, but I wouldn´t do it out of fear, guessing they won´t be ready for their lives in the near future. I would do it because it´s great for their present and they´ll percieve our love and dedication in this.
Please know I post this comment with respect. My only intention is to share my everyday thoughts and worries regarding young children education.
Love,
Fernanda
Susan Case says
Your points are good and I understand them. I guess I’ve seen too many neglected children who crave attention and acceptance. Actually, we did not hug our students but I think touching and hugging are important for a child to have from his family. I think if you read other posts on my blog you will find that I am a strong proponent of play. Young children are eager learners using their five senses and movement – not flashcards and too much screen time. I like your question: “How are we preparing kindergarten for our children?” I hope more parents will take an active role in promoting more recess time, hands-on learning, and time for socialization at school.
Susan Case says
Fernanda – I just visited your blog and it is amazing. Love it and am subscribing now.
teacher says
As a primary teacher, I love the advice that you gave. It is a great starting point for many, and they are all manageable. However, I did notice one thing: you mentioned the importance of developing fine motor skills, but then mentioned Velcro shoes (when discussing following 2 & 3-step directions). Obviously, a child must start somewhere (and it’s convenient!) and there is an age-appropriateness factor, but I believe teaching children to tie shoes is important; it is a skill taught to kindergartners at my school. It can help children develop fine motor skills as well. There are many students at my school who enter the upper grades still unable to tie shoes because they have always had Velcro shoes. Just a thought. Great post!
Susan Case says
I understand what you mean about Velcro shoes. My intention was not to hold your child back from enrolling in Kinder because they can’t read or tie their shoes. Too many parents are waiting another year to enroll their child because they want them to be a leader, or excel in sports, or have higher academic achievements. Children need to be challenged and most should enroll unless they really are too immature. I had very few children already tying their shoes when they enrolled and it is something I strongly encouraged the parents to help their child learn. I spent time teaching it as well and most could tie their shoes by the end of the school year. It is a great fine motor skill. Thank you so much for commenting. (I was trying to connect Katie’s intro with my ending). Have a great day.
janean says
love your blog so much!! super helpful!
xoxo janean
Sarah says
I’d like to add one more to this list: giving children a chance to have unbroken concentration. Studies have shown that length of attention-span in preschoolers (4-year-olds) has an effect on whether those children graduate from college by age 25.
Jessica says
Just out of curiosity, what length of attention span is a normal goal? ( Sarah?) Since I have only one child and have a hard time grasping “normal” at that age, since there are lots of other factors in his life that leave me unable to compare him. (He speaks both Eng & Ger. He loooooves to read. I was an elem school teacher for a few years before we adopted him at birth and I’m a full time, hands free, stay at home mom). He’s still only 3.5 but will sit for at least half of a Magic Tree House book, or for multiple chapters of Childrens Illustrated Classics. We laughed our heads off this week to the book No David!! from the library. I think he’s a pretty clever dude, and feel so blessed to be his mom. Also, Sarah, I’d love to be able to see that study about attention span and college graduation. Do you have a link for it?
Susan, I recently found your blog and LOOOOOOVE it!! We did the glue with candy sprinkles (and whew! with lowercase letters in the name!) and it was a maaaaajor hit! Especially since we really limit candy around here. He was also excited to then make his own scribble pictures by squeezing the glue bottle afterwards on his papers before sprinkling. (Go finger muscles!)
Thanks again! I’ll let you know when my blog is up: Sneaky Preschool I’ve had to make our family blog private and am linking over tons of learning posts from there.
Susan Case says
Jessica, Thank you so much for commenting. It sounds like your your son has a wonderful attention span and is progressing beautifully. One of my kindergartners’ favorite books was “No David!” What a hit. So happy you like my blog. Yes, please let me know when you start your blog. You can leave me a comment on my blog under Contact Me.
jessica says
I love this list! I am a future teacher an have interned in a few classrooms and I can see the difference in kid who have been prepared an those who haven’t. I agree that children don’t need to know how to tie their shoes but please for the teachers sake if they can’t get them Velcro for school an a pair with laces do at home until they can do it themselves
Susan Case says
Jessica – Yes, there is such a difference in children who have been read to, listened to, communicated with, etc rather than spending too much time with gadgets. There is no substitute for one-on-one attention. I love Velcro. It’s okay that children can’t tie their shoes when entering K. Good luck to you. Sounds like you’ll make a fantastic teacher. Take lots of vitamins. lol.
ThomesWillson says
These are such a nice way to prepare a child for preschool. Using these ways a child can learn with fun!!!
Taylor Bishop says
Thanks for going over some ways to help a kid get ready for kindergarten. I appreciate that you mentioned that you should start encouraging them to clean up toys and be responsible for their actions beforehand. This seems very beneficial, especially if this will the the first time that they are away from home for a very long time.