The Kindergarten program follows the principle that partnerships with families and communities strengthen the ability of early childhood settings to meet the needs of young children. There are many ways that parents can support their child prior to entering Kindergarten, to prepare them for learning in a school setting.
These include, but are not limited to, ensuring that your child has ample opportunity to engage in different types of play; providing daily physical activities to help develop gross and fine motor skills; talking and listening to your child; making sure your child’s nutritional needs are being met; helping your child with daily routines such as getting dressed, feeding, toileting, cleaning up after activities, self-regulating their active and quiet play times.
Here are some ways you can help prepare your child for kindergarten:
Read to your child, preferably daily. Select a variety of books of different lengths and different subjects. Relate the pictures to the story. This enhances language development and stimulates children’s curiosity and imagination.
Talk with and listen to your child about daily activities — what he/she is doing; what you are doing. Strong oral communication skills will become a solid foundation for later academic achievement.
Encourage other adults in your child’s life to emphasize the positive aspects of school: new friends, a caring teacher, and opportunities to learn, grow, and have fun. Find out the teacher’s name and use it when discussing school activities.
Recognize it is sometimes just as difficult for you to face the separation from your child as it is for your child to face separation from you. Take comfort from understanding that these feelings are normal and they will pass as you and your child grow accustomed to a new routine.
Discover the route your child will travel to and from school and obtain information on walking distances. Several dress rehearsals will build your child’s confidence and help establish safety conscious routines. Make sure the child walking to school is accompanied by an adult. Children on buses are met on arrival at, and departure from, school by the teacher or school supervisor. Children must be met by an adult when they are dropped off following their day at school. Visit the school. Use the playground and apparatus.
Develop opportunities for your child’s exposure to music, rhythm and rhyming activities which help the development of reading skills.
Accustom your child to consistent routines such as getting up at a certain time, getting dressed, and so forth.
Help your child to develop fine motor skills. Fine motor skills are those skills involving the small muscles of the body and include such activities as drawing, cutting and gluing, as well as handling Playdough, building towers of blocks, stringing large beads on a string, catching a beanbag or large ball.
Discuss personal safety, busing, and strangers. Be sure children know their name, address, and telephone number.
Review the calendar with your child. Circle the day on which your child starts school. You may also wish to mark gym and library days, class trips, birthdays, and special occasions.
Label all your child’s belongings in an inconspicuous place: indoor and outdoor clothing, shoes, boots, snack container, drink container, and backpack.
Prepare your child for successful experiences. Provide opportunities at home with situations that challenge your child to manage alone when toileting, dressing, tidying, and eating. These self-regulation skills help children feel good about themselves and help them realize they can solve their own problems and be supported while doing so.
Please visit our Kindergarten Program section to learn more about the program.