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Edina

Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018 • Page 13

Transitioning to early education Helping our youngest learners navigate big changes

By RACHEL ANDERSON Contributing Writer

It won’t be long before the kids are back in school.

If you have a child going into elementary, middle of high school this fall, there are plenty of resources out there on how to prepare, but what do you do if you are sending your son or daughter to preschool for the first time? “A good place to start is by realizing that the social/emotional aspect of school is what is most important for young children. Some children will be extremely excited to start school and others will be more hesitant.

Take your child at his or her social, emotional and developmental level. No two children are the same,�

(PHOTOS COURTESY OF WAZYATA PUBLIC SCHOOLS)

Teacher Kathy Kirchner helps a student work on his scissor skills.

said Sandi Loxton, the early childhood education coordinator for Wayzata Early Learning School in Plymouth.

Loxton and her colleague, early childhood special education supervisor Robin Henslin, teamed up to offer these tips for parents: 1) Provide opportunities for your child to get excited and feel comfortable about their new adventure.

2) Discuss in advance what school is, what activities they might be doing, the parts of the day your child will find

Teacher Janet Stobel works with a preschool class.

other children do this also.

6) If possible, see if your child will know any other children in his/her class.

Due to data privacy, the school can’t give out class list information, but you may know the children based on past experiences.

7) Get a first day of school picture! You will want to remember these days.

8) As a caregiver, be sure to take care of yourself too. Taking your children to school for the first time can be a very emotional experience for adults too.

Loxton recommends that if possible, you take your child to visit the classroom and meet the teacher ahead of time, and when that first day of school arrives make the drop off short and sweet. “Don’t linger. Dragging the drop off out makes it more difficult for you and

Teacher Morgen Astle plays with a preschooler.

the child. The staff are it is not a kindergarten most interesting (e.g. art, well trained to deal with entrance examination. music, playground, snack, separation and they will Contact your school reading). insure your child is having district to schedule an 3) If they will have a a successful day,� she said. appointment,� she said. school experience where Henslin adds that now, If you have the caregiver does not stay, before preschool begins, developmental concerns discuss this separation in is also a good time to or questions regarding the weeks leading up to schedule your child’s state your child, you should school. Remind the child required Early Childhood contact your school district that you will always come Screening. “The best age or make a referral on the back. to get your child screened Help Me Grow website: 4) Create and use social is around 3 1/2 years of http://helpmegrowmn. stories to describe and age. It is a requirement to org/HMG/index.htm chronicle the format of begin kindergarten, but the day. For example, create a book and include pictures where it shows getting in the car or bus to go to school, a picture of the school, a picture of the room, a picture of the caregiver and child giving each other a hug good bye, a picture of the teacher if possible, students doing art activities, circle time pictures, playground pictures, snack pictures, and a picture returning home. Use real pictures wherever possible.

5) Read other stories about the first day of school. It helps for Our earliest learners are getting ready to head to preschool, where the social and emotional children to know that aspect of school is very important.

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2 BACK SCHOOL

Page 14 • Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018

Edina

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Staying engaged prevents summer setbacks Keep children reading, engaged with scheduled activities or playtime

By SABINA BADOLA sabina.badola@ecm-inc.com

As we turn the corner into August, many parents have back-to-school thoughts on the brain. They may have put their children in activities over the three-month summer break, allowed them free playtime, or, more often than not, a combination of both.

The way a child spends his or her summer can influence academic performance in some ways.

Many students return to school with achievement levels lower than where they were at the beginning of summer break, according to a Review of Educational Research study.

This is referred to as summer learning loss, summer setback or summer slide.

Studies show students lose a month or more of reading

proficiency over the summer, according to Josh Collins, a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Education. “The short answer is yes, how students spend their time impacts achievement‌ Disadvantaged students tend to lose more than advantaged studies,â€? Collins said.

Reading is a recommended way to combat summer setback. “We recommend that families and communities work to ensure children and teens have access to books and are encouraged to spend time reading. Visits to the public library are great for free summer reading programs, activities and events of all kind and for all ages,� Collins said.

Free play, which excludes adult-directed sports and games, is also important for learning because it helps children acquire the skills and attitudes required for successful

adulthood, according to an American Journal of Play study. “It’s a positive thing having a summer break because the children can really be one with nature and have time to explore things that they might not have the opportunity to do otherwise,� said Janine Wanberg, lead teacher and director at Minnetonka Montessori in Excelsior. “They have time to be creative. There’s uninterrupted time for selfdiscovery, for self-actualization.

It allows them to further follow their interests in life, and they have the social skills and the confidence to go on.�

Self-guided learning, and developing a love of learning how the real world works is a benefit of unstructured playtime, according to David Haeg, a Montessori parent of three. “Kids in a prescriptive classroom environment may have a hard time with unstructured time during summer break and not

know how to spend their own independent time productively,� Haeg said. “You don’t necessarily need to turn on the TV to be entertained.

Go outside and build a fort or observe ants.�

However, it is unknown whether more emphasis should be placed on scheduled activities, such as sports and camps, or unscheduled playtime, according to Collins. “We are not aware of consensus among experts on preferring one over the other, since children’s needs vary so widely,� Collins said.

The key may be to strike an engaging balance that is tailored to your child. “There are benefits to both scheduled and unscheduled activities over the summer, and any given child may benefit from one over the other, or from a combination of both,�

Collins said. “The important thing that is a child is given the opportunity to stay engaged in learning.�

Boredom is nothing to

fear and can even be fruitful, according to Rachel Guyah, a Bloomington-based mother of two and contributing writer to Minnesota Parent Magazine. “We worry about kids getting bored, but I think boredom in moderation is actually a good thing,� she said. “It can prevent over-stimulation and nurture their imagination.�

Summertime tip: Create a “bored book�

1) Purchase a binder.

2) Brainstorm with your children a wide range of activities that they initiate and complete on their own.

3) Take photos of your children engaged in these activities.

4) With your children, put each photo in its own sheet in the binder and label each activity.

5) The result? A “bored book� that your children can refer to anytime boredom strikes!

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