10 Ways to Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten (or Full-Time School)
10 Ways to Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten (or Full-Time School)
When you have a new baby, the thought of them going off to school seems far off in the distant future. There are so many milestones and memories to make before that time, so you put the thought away for another day. Time keeps moving forward, and in the blink of an eye, your baby is ready for Kindergarten. As we are nearing the upcoming school year, I am also preparing to send my youngest to Kindergarten and am having all the feels. I can’t believe this snuggly little infant is big enough to have homework and beginning to read sight words. A common thought I feel many parents think is, “Are they ready?” or “Have I done enough to prepare them?” The answer is usually yes, they will be just fine because they have parents like you who care, and have invested so much into their little lives already. As an early childhood educator, I have been pondering what advice or tips I would give parents as they are gearing up for Kindergarten or any full-time educational setting. I have created a list of 10 ways to help ease the transition and hopefully make you and your child feel a little more prepared.
Start your routine early; plan ahead.
One of the hardest parts of starting a new school year is adjusting to the routine of being back on a schedule after summer. As adults, we feel how hard this change is, but imagine the growing, changing mind and body of a child. The amount of information children have to digest at school, especially in the beginning as they are learning rules and routines, is massive. Giving them a leg up and allowing them to truly thrive and succeed by already having your new school year routine at home built is a gift! In the weeks leading up to school, gradually start building those routines and habits. At the beginning of the summer, I like to look ahead and put in my calendar about two weeks before school starts to begin these transitions. It takes the pressure off of trying to remember and forgetting; therefore, I have a higher rate of success. If you start early enough, it will allow it to seem like a slow, steady shift instead of a big change all at once. If the goal for school is to wake up at 7:00 am and they are currently sleeping until 7:30 or 8:00 AM, slowly start waking them up 10-15 minutes early to help them start to get their bodies used to waking up at that time. If you allow yourself this small gift of preparation and routine change, you are saving yourself some of the struggle and push back, and your morning routine will run smoother. Same goes for bedtime. If your child needs to go to bed at 7:30 pm for school days, but they are on a summer schedule of going to bed at 8:30 pm or 9:00 pm, start pushing bedtime up by 10-15 minutes until you have reached the desired bedtime. It may require a shift in dinner, bath, and other evening routines, but I promise a little time spent investing in habit-building for school is time well spent! Make it a priority and help your child have a well-rested body and mind to start this big, exciting milestone in their life.
2. Visit your school/classroom.
Most schools have a “Meet the Teacher” or an orientation already built into their schedules to help students get ready for school. Some MDOs or daycares may not have this, but giving your child a chance to see their school space and lay eyes on their teacher can be so helpful. A new environment can feel scary and overwhelming in their tiny minds, so giving them a chance to see it allows them to visualize it as it is. They can think about the toys they saw, the tiny tables where they will spend time learning and making new friends, the special place where they will keep all their belongings, and most importantly, know that it is a safe, welcoming place for them to be. Meeting your teacher ahead of time is equally important. Children need to know who their safe adults are while they are away from their parents, and similar to the space, allowing them to see and visualize that person can ease a lot of worries or fears. This is such an exciting time for them, and getting to have this special day with their parents to visit before beginning school helps enormously!
3. Integrate common “school words” into discussions.
As you are preparing your routines and school year schedules, also consider the language you use and start using it in your conversations with your child. I would start with their supplies and materials they will see every day. Showing them their school bag (backpack, tote bag, etc.), lunchbox, folders (if applicable), snacks, a nap mat, rest items, or anything else that will be going to and from school with them each day. Making sure they know what everything is and where it goes/how to use it instills confidence, and again takes one thing they have to learn off their plate. Little things around the classroom that have special names, such as cubbies or hooks where they put their backpack, are also important to know. During your orientation or meeting with the teacher, listen to what certain times during the day are called in their school schedule. If nap time is called rest time, make sure to use that language at home when referring to it. Alternatively, you can even start calling your nap time at home 'rest time' too. The same goes for snack time, centers, or small group learning time to help have meaningful conversations centered around what they did at school that day. To a child, going to and coming home from school is very important because it means leaving a parent or seeing their parent again. Many children need reassurance surrounding drop-off and pick-up. Using language like drop-off for morning time, or pick-up for afternoon time, helps them understand which time of day you’re referring to. It could also be helpful to show them when you go visit the classroom, exactly where you will drop off and pick up. Many schools use different terminology for going to school and leaving school, so using the language they will hear every day is very helpful and reassuring. Knowing the language used at school can help you communicate more clearly with your child and set them up for success!
4. Show pictures of familiar faces.
Similar to meet the teacher, during your visit to the classroom, meet some people your child might see every day. The principal, school director, secretary, other teachers in the same grade level, the school nurse, or counselor are all important people for your child to know. If you are unable to meet these people in person, look at the school website or directory and show your child their pictures. Seeing their faces and allowing your child to start knowing who they will be surrounded by each day can be very helpful and reassuring.
5. Meet up with families of similar-age kids from your school.
Friends are one of the most important parts of school for our young children. Knowing other children in their class, or who go to the same school, can ease anxieties and give your child peace of mind. Many schools have coordinators who work to help facilitate meetups before school begins, but if you don’t have one, try to reach out to other parents and meet up for a play date at the park or lunch. It can also be fun to continue these playdates after school, once a week, or on a weekend, which can allow your child to build relationships with their friends outside of school, and hopefully help you make new friends as well! It takes a village, so get to know the people going through the same life experiences as you, and you can start to have people in your corner who can be there for you and your child as they continue through their school journey.
6. Play on the school playground.
A super simple way to prepare your child for the upcoming school year is to go play on the playground that they will play on every day! Even if it is just for a few minutes at Meet the Teacher, giving them time to see and be immersed in their soon-to-be play space can be so helpful. Many schools allow people to play during non-school hours, but you can always reach out to the staff to see if it is permitted if you are planning to go on a day off from school. Play is one of the most important parts of being a child, and also gives them something they are sure to look forward to once they start school.
7. Give reminders of the time/place they will see you again.
Similar to some of the tips above, separation from parents is one of the things that can feel the most overwhelming to a child. Knowing when and where they will see you again is very important to them. Make sure to explain to them how the drop-off and pick-up routine will work and use familiar terminology. Show them the procedure, and reassure them. During drop-off in the morning, don’t linger because it makes the transition harder for them, but remind them of what they will do once they enter the classroom and do what we call our early childhood program, the “kiss and fly.” Give them a hug, a kiss, and send them on their way to have a fun-filled day of learning. They will be okay as soon as they are settled into their new routine. If you are given a schedule of your child’s day, you can also remind them at what point in the day pick-up is close, and where you will be when you come to pick them up. I like to say something like “see you after second recess,” or “see you at 3:00”. They may not be able to know the exact time yet on the clock, but having a time in mind can be helpful.
8. Teach/practice independence.
This is a HUGE tip for success, and one we see truly beneficial for Kindergarten readiness. As you are closing out summer and starting to build school routines and habits, start including things like picking out their outfits the night before, getting dressed independently (including snapping, buttoning, or zipping), or brushing their teeth on their own. Bathroom independence should be something they can achieve on their own, but if they are still struggling in this area, work with them to solidify these concepts so they can feel prepared when they have to do it on their own at school. Many parents have already been working to build independence in these areas before Kindergarten, but if you have not, start allowing your child the space and time to do it on their own. When they enter the Kindergarten classroom, there is one adult for many students, and they are going to be expected to be able to have some independence. Help them build that confidence that they can do it on their own, and it will benefit them so much.
9. Be intentional with nutrition and sleep.
I mentioned this in tip #1 on planning and adjusting the routine, but making sure your child is getting the right amount of sleep and correct nutrition for school is probably the most important tip I have. The big truth is that children can’t truly learn and retain if they are hungry and tired, especially when they are little. Their minds and bodies are growing and changing so much at this age that we need to do our best to make sure they are getting good sleep and good food. The learning is not the only thing that is affected, but their ability to cope with big feelings and conflicts is also affected. If you can build a nighttime routine that allows your child to get adequate sleep, you are doing a great job preparing them! Work with them in the weeks leading up to school to find breakfasts that work for both of you, and make sure to add a source of protein. It is okay to have the occasional bowl of cereal in a pinch or donuts on a special day (we love a good Krispy Kreme!), but pair them with a protein to give them a jumpstart on a successful day.
10. Reflect on the day.
At the end of the day, giving your child time to reflect on their day is also very important. Give them time to share what they loved about their day, what was hard, or problems they feel like they need to solve. Work through those with them, but also give them a chance to come up with ideas to solve them on their own. We can’t read our child’s mind, but opening space in the day to allow the thoughts and ideas they have circulating to be shared is a chance to communicate and connect. There are many practical tips for helping our children be ready for school and all that comes with it, but the truth is, if they know we are in their corner, they are going to be okay! Allowing children to feel like you are there for them and that you care in those little moments of reflection on the day opens the doors for readiness, not just for Kindergarten, but for anything that might come their way.
It is hard to believe that the baby you once held in your arms in the middle of the night, who needed you to do everything for them, is big enough to go to full-time school. You’ve helped them get this far, and you’ve got the next chapters in the bag too. You are amazing, and you are the perfect parent for this child. Enjoy every moment of watching their precious life unfold, and have the best year watching them learn and grow. Amazing things happen during those first years of full-time school, and I’m so excited for you and your child!
Many Blessings,
Lauren
