Getting Ready For Kindergarten

 

Soon your child will begin Kindergarten - an exciting and new place for both of you.

While many parents feel sad that their child is growing up and leaving home,

kindergarten is also an opportunity to help your child learn and mature. Start now

to work with your child to make sure she/he is ready. Being ready for school helps

your child understand what teachers and others are talking about and what is

expected of them in their new classroom. Knowing these things will help make the

move from home or childcare to school easier and more fun.

 

 

 

    PARENT INVOLVEMENT

 

Parent involvement means that you care about your child's education and find ways to let her/him and the school know that you care. When families send a positive message to their children about the importance of education, children have more success in school. Research has clearly proven that the students with involved parents are more likely to earn higher grades and test scores, to be promoted, to adjust well to school, to attend regularly, and to graduate. So talk with your child’s teacher early in the year and often throughout the year. Tell the teacher what you know about your child and ask for more ways to help your child at home.

 

Ways you can help::

1.  Read to your child15 minutes or more each day – not just at bedtime.

2.  Listen to stories on tape.

3.  Tell your child that education is important and that you want her/him to

grow up to be a successful person who does their best in school.

4.. Recite nursery rhymes and make up silly rhymes

5. Talk about and/or cut out things you see in magazines and newspapers and glue them

on to blank sheets to make a book of favorite things

6.  Sit or kneel on the floor at child level to talk & play

7. Write a letter together to someone you love

8. Sing songs and play music in your home

9.  Find good websites to play and read together

10.  Color and draw. Play word games and board games together

11.Cook together and talk about how to cook – measure, stir, bake

12. Become a partner with teachers to help your child succeed

13. Pay attention to your child's homework

14. Check your child's school bag for notes from the school

15. Attend parent/teacher conferences and school events

16. Pay attention to your child's homework that it gets turned in

17.Fill out school forms and return them on time

18... Offer to help at the school. Many volunteer jobs can be done at home

19. Take your child to the library – ask the librarian to help you choose books

20. Read road signs and point out things as you drive

21. Go to community events, cultural fairs, museums, ballgames

22. Play catch, jump rope, hop scotch, hide & seek

23. Dance and stretch

24. Keep your child healthy – lots of sleep, exercise and healthy food

25. Limit television

26. Have a regular bedtime. Around 8:00 pm is good for most young children.

27. Every activity and conversation you have with your child shows the importance of love, literacy and learning. 

 

   MAKE THE BIG DAY A HAPPY ONE!

 

The first day at the "big school" can seem frightening to even the most confident child. Here are some ways you can help make that first day a happy one:

 1. Be positive. Tell your child that education is important and that you are happy that

she is going to school to learn so many new things, meet new friends and have fun.

 2.Discuss your child's concerns about school. If she has fears, help her to know that

everything will be okay because her teacher and her family care about her and will

help her.

3. Make sure your child knows that you, her room, her favorite toys and friends will be waiting for her at the end of the school day.

4. You can visit the school and classroom before the school year starts – be sure to call the principal in advance for an appointment. Show your child his classroom, the lunchroom and the playground; then it will be familiar on his first day.

5. Children sometimes worry about using the bathroom at school. Let your child know that there will be a bathroom nearby and that he can use it when he needs to.

6.The week before school starts, practice going to bed on time. Put your child to bed earlier in order to get her/him up in time for school. Most children need 8-10 hours of sleep. Wake your child up at the time they will have to get ready for school and practice your morning routine.

7. Children do their best when they come to school healthy, well rested and eat healthy foods.

 

 

 KINDERGARTEN READINESS

 

LANGUAGE READINESS

 

It is important for your child to have clear speech and use words in a way that will help teachers and others understand what he needs. He should also have enough words in his vocabulary so that he understands what the teacher and others are saying to him.

 Before your child begins school he should know:

First and last name

Age – birthday also – 5 years old, April 15, 1999

Sex – boy or girl, male or female

Home telephone number or cell phone number

Address or street he lives on

What his house or apartment looks like

Foods he cannot eat (food allergies) – nuts, seeds, milk, orange juice

Father's name – first and last name

Mother's name – first and last name

Brother or sister's name

Grandparents’ names

The difference between friends and family

 

SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL READINESS AND SELF-HELP SKILLS

 

When children know what to expect, they are happy to be going to school and curious about learning new things and making new friends. Children come to school with different skill levels. Your child should know or will learn the following skills while attending kindergarten.

Your child will need to know how to:

 

1. Wait her turn

2. Be away from his family without being too sad

3. Follow the teacher's directions and do what is asked

4. Understand that others have feelings and rights

5. Know how to follow rules

6. Share items, work on projects with other children, be helpful

7. Ask for help when she needs it

8. Use his manners: say,” please, thank you,

excuse me, I'm sorry, can I play with you?"

9. Sit quietly for 15 to 20 minutes

10. Use words to settle disagreements

11.. Go to the toilet, flush, wash hands, and manage clothing.

 

BOOKS FOR KINDERGARTEN

 

1. The Night Before Kindergarten by Natasha Wing and Julie Durrell