AH! You just realized that your preschooler will be starting kindergarten in a few short weeks, and you’re not sure if they’re ready!
Don’t panic. The transition to kindergarten can seem a little freaky for your child and for you, but it doesn’t have to be.
As a teacher and a parent, here are my top 5 suggestions to help you both get ready for kindergarten.
1. Teach Them to Make Their Own Lunch
For most parents, making school lunches gets tiring really quickly.
But the truth is by age 5 most children are perfectly capable of assembling their own lunch.
Some things you can do to make this process a little easier include:
- Talking about good nutrition
- Having a stool in the kitchen
- Giving your child a kitchen tour
- Washing and chopping produce ahead of time
- Having a snack bin at their level
- Leading by example
They will most likely need some guidance the first few times, but your patience will pay off when they start school…and for the next 12 years…and for the rest of their lives.
You can expect it to be at least a little bit messy, but the clean-up is part of the job. Teach that too!
Your child will have an amazing feeling of accomplishment, and you will have one less meal to make.
2. Play Simple Board Games
Easy, roll-and-count board games are a great way to help prepare your child academically for kindergarten because they teach and reinforce counting.
This will help you assess whether or not your child can count properly on their own, without skipping numbers or counting so quickly that they end up counting incorrectly.
Count out loud with them on their turn, and help them move their game piece accordingly. Do the same on your turn.
As an added bonus, board games also reinforce how to take turns!
3. Teach Them to Write Their Name
Or at least to spell it and recognize what it looks like.
There are so many natural ways to teach this, so you can skip the workbooks or lined paper (unless that works for your child).
Signing a birthday card? Pretend you forgot how to spell your child’s name and ask them to help you remember.
Does your child love to draw? Have them sign their artwork! You can show them how to grip the pencil properly, and place your hand on top of theirs while you write and say each letter. Or, write their name and have them trace it.
Going to the beach? Help them write their name in the sand!
Got chalk? Practice on the driveway.
This one is important, but don’t stress about it too much. Find ways to work it into what you’re already doing, and it will come.
4. Create a Morning Routine
Setting up (and sticking with) a morning routine in the summer will make the transition to school that much easier.
If your preschooler doesn’t already have a morning routine, it would be a good idea to get one going at least a couple of weeks before school starts.
If you already have a routine, does it need to be tweaked a little bit so you can be out the door on time?
Most kids at this age will jump at the opportunity for some extra independence. You can find a kid’s morning routine charts online, with words and pictures, and print it out. Consider laminating it to make it more durable. Show your child how to use it and let them figure it out, with guidance from you when necessary. Praise them as they progress.
By the time school starts, your child will be a pro at getting themselves ready, with little to no help from you.
5. Read to Them Every Single Day
If you can only commit to one thing on this list, let it be this one.
Read to your child. At any and all ages.
You’ve probably already heard about the countless benefits of reading to your child, and, as a teacher, I want to tell you that they are all true.
We can tell who gets read to at home and who doesn’t.
Kids who are read to on a regular basis are more articulate. Their speech is usually clearer. They show more empathy. They have a good memory and typically pick up new concepts quickly. And the list goes on…
Read books about different things, people, and places. Read books with made-up words and rhyming words. Read them short novels, if you think they’ll sit long enough. (Don’t knock it til you try it. Our 3-year-old sat for novels with minimal pictures and over 200 pages, and she retained the information better than her older sister.)
Conclusion
Starting kindergarten is a big step for your child and for you.
I worried about my daughter finding good friends, following the teacher’s instructions, losing lunch utensils, and being bullied, just to name a few.
But, I wasn’t worried about her literacy or counting skills, or our ability to get out the door on time with a healthy lunch in hand. Which is all you really need for kindergarten anyway.
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