Teacher Tips: Getting Ready for Kindergarten

5 steps to getting your child ready for kindergarten

By Jean Vogel, Kindergarten Teacher at Asante Preparatory Academy and recent National Board Certification recipient

It’s coming fast! The first day of school for some parents and little ones in our community is just months away. Kindergarten can be a big adjustment for everyone in the household. Many parents have asked me over the years what they can do at home to get their child ready for school. I’ve compiled a quick list of five questions to ask yourself and your child to prepare for that first day and beyond. Little things at home can make a big difference in the classroom and allow children to have a successful first year. Remember that kindergarten helps kiddos develop cognitively, socially, emotionally, and physically. What you can reinforce at home can be academic, such as reading. But it can also be addressing the way students react to situations with their peers, developing ways to react to adversity, and being able to perform tasks without the help of an adult. I hope that this list provides a good first step for you and your child. See you in August for the first day!

Jean Vogel

01 - Have you developed a growth mindset with your child?

Even if your child cannot do something YET, it means that they can still practice that skill and have time to work towards mastery. Please encourage your child to keep trying something that is new or challenging. This might be a new game you are playing as a family, trying to write their name on their own, or even skipping or riding a bike outside! Encouraging your child to continue trying helps them learn perseverance and determination even when the problems seem tough.

02 - Have you worked on fostering independence?

Teach them to open all of their breakfast, lunch, and snack items on their own. Teach them to tie their shoes, how to take off and put on shoes, coats, and outfits for ease of using the restroom and playing outside.

03 - Have you created a love for reading?

Studies show that reading is more valuable than flashcards and skill and drill practicing. Practice reading to your child at home with anything you can. Remember it is important to expose your child to a variety of materials from newspapers, magazines, or even just those pesky fliers and coupons that come in the mail. Your child will learn valuable skills such as tracking print, directionality from left to right, and return sweep all while having quality time with a loved one at home.

04 - Have you cultivated respect and turn taking in your child?

Play games together! It is important for children to learn to take turns, wait respectfully, encourage others, and even cope with winning and losing in a game. It is fun to do as a family and a great way to prepare for success at school.

05 - Have you encouraged following multistep directions in routines?

This is not only a great skill for school or home but as a long term life skill as well. Ask your child to help you with something at home from daily routine items to new chores. Start by giving them two consecutive things to do in a specific order. For example at bed time: first change into your pajamas and then brush your teeth. Then add in other steps that may be more difficult for your child or different than their normal routine. As a second example: first change into your pajamas, then clean up your dirty laundry, next pick out your clothes for tomorrow and last brush your teeth. See how many steps you can add into the directions while your child maintains success! This helps your child learn how to follow multi step directions while furthering their independence.