Help Your Child Succeed cont.

■ Ready, Set, Learn events provide a chance for caregivers and children (3-5) to engage with their local school. These one-time events typically happen in the spring.

Support Your Child’s Transition at Home

There are many ways to help your child prepare for Kindergarten. Play is one of the best activities to do with your child, and can touch on the following topics:

■ Developing the joy of reading

Help your child learn to love reading be engaging with books at home. Help your child point out the front of books, turn pages one at a time, hold them correctly, and pretend to read to stuffed animals or toys.

■ Playing with sounds and letters

Practice identifying letters and numbers in your community, sing simple songs, and familiar rhymes!

■ Listening and following directions

Help your child get ready for school by making directions fun! Play games that involve listening to instructions and taking turns. Also use “first” and “then” to let your child know about expectations. Fro example, say, “First puzzle, then snack.”

■ Check out your local library

Libraries host amazing programs that support play, engagement, and pre-literacy skills.

Play (0-8 years of age)

Extended engagement in play is one of the best ways to prepare your child for school. It is a critical component of your child’s learning, development, and well-being. Here are some suggestions to support your child’s engagement in play:

■ Check out the Ready, Set, Learn toolkit – this has been developed to give parents ideas that encourage children to become life-long learners.

■ Allow your child’s interests to be your guide.

■ Give children time to think and respond to questions, or to make choices.

■ Check out the Play Today B.C. Handbook – this provides examples of and illustrates a variety of play experience.

■ Above all, have fun!