Making the transition from child care or preschool up to kindergarten can be a daunting task for both kids and parents alike. Sometimes it’s even more emotionally difficult for the parents than it is for the kids! Your little one is entering a new chapter of their lives, which often makes parents sentimental knowing that their precious babies are growing up so fast (cue sad face emoji).
However, this is no time for tears! Stay strong and follow these tips which will help you prepare your child for kindergarten.
Establish a bedtime routine one month before kindergarten starts.
Long summer days often turn into long summer nights! This is all fine and dandy until bedtime inches later and later into the evening. Everyone is having so much fun enjoying the dog days of summer that somehow we don’t even realize what has happened.
During the summer months, bedtime routines tend to fly out the window, or are at least a bit more lax than during the school year. In order to better prepare your child for kindergarten, it’s time to pull in the reins and start establishing an earlier bedtime and a consistent evening routine.
A good time to start is about a month before the first day of school. By the time school starts, your kiddos should be adjusted to the new earlier bedtime. This ensures that they will be well rested for the early morning wake up time, which will help them remain alert and productive throughout the school day!
Phase out naps.
This is another sleep related tip that goes hand-in-hand with establishing an earlier bedtime. If your child is still napping, it’s time to nip that nap in the bud! Kids typically aren’t napping in the kindergarten classroom, so it’s a good idea to start phasing naps out in the summer prior.
Try replacing their comfy sleep environment with one that is better suited for some quiet time, looking at books or listening to music. If you start transitioning them out of their deep sleeps mid-summer, they should acclimate to skipping naps altogether by the time school starts in the fall.
Plan a visit to the kindergarten classroom.
Some schools offer an orientation day (or evening) prior to the start of school in order to better prepare your child for kindergarten. This opportunity allows parents and kids to visit their new classroom and get familiar with the space. Oftentimes this is also an opportunity for you and your child to meet the teachers.
In addition, you typically get a tour of the grounds and the various rooms and outdoor spaces that the kids will be immersed in once they officially start kindergarten. Some schools even offer a practice bus ride! This can ease some of those first day jitters for your child, especially if they are going into a new school building, and create a smoother transition for parents, teachers, and the students.
Organize some end-of-summer playdates with future classmates.
No matter how old you are, it’s always comforting to see a few familiar faces when you go somewhere new. If possible, try to get together with some of the other families that will be attending the same school as your child. Not only will the kids have a chance to play, talk about school, and get to know each other a little before that first bell rings, parents will also be able to compare anxieties and share strategies for getting ready for the big leap into the big K!
Shop together for school supplies.
Get your child ready and excited for the start of kindergarten by planning a back-to-school shopping excursion to buy school supplies. Some schools provide parents with a specific list of supplies, and some leave it to the discretion of the parents.
Either way, let your kindergartner walk around the store with you and encourage them to pick the items from your list and put them in the cart. This will give them a sense of autonomy that they are included in the school preparation process. And of course, they will also be excited to use their new “big kid” school supplies!
Splurge for some special new school clothes.
Nothing says back to school like a fresh new outfit! Along with their new school supplies, some new clothes and shoes can really provide young children with a confidence boost when they need it most. Remember that feeling of walking into school in a fresh new outfit, smelling like the mall and feeling like a million bucks?
Even if you’re on a tight budget, try to make a special shopping trip and let your soon-to-be kindergartner pick out things like a couple of new tops and bottoms (if their school doesn’t require uniforms), a pair of shoes, and a new backpack and lunch box.
On that first day, prepare your child for kindergarten inside and out! Leave plenty of time in the morning to get your little one washed, brushed, and looking good on the outside, and this will help them to feel ready to go on the inside.
Start a conversation about the transition to kindergarten.
The summer is prime time to start readying your little one for what’s to come. Start to get them excited about this next phase of their education by talking about kindergarten, explaining what it’s all about and what will be expected of them.
Explain that there will most likely be some homework and classroom rules, but also some really fun stuff like music and art and a playground! Point out to your child if some of their preschool friends will also be starting at the same kindergarten. These conversations will increase their school readiness factor and have them feeling excited about the start of kindergarten by the time it rolls around!
Practice!
Carefree summertime play is wildly different from the structure found inside a classroom, so it’s good to have your child experience the feeling of sitting and listening, following directions, and participating in organized activities.
They can get a taste of kindergarten life by joining in on story hour at the library or finding a class that suits their interests, such as music, art, or gymnastics. If these types of activities aren’t available, gather some stuffed animals together and role play the classroom experience. Model how to sit quietly on the rug and raise your hand for a turn. Show them how to line up facing forward with their arms at their sides. Unpack their lunchbox together, or go over how to use money to buy a school lunch. See if they can finish their meal in 12 minutes flat.
These seemingly simple skills are what kindergarten teachers tirelessly work on for the first few weeks of school, so give your kiddo a head start!
Keep your kids learning throughout the summer.
Although we want our kids to enjoy their final summer before starting school, they tend to lose some of the skills and lessons they learned in preschool. No need to burden them with a rigorous summertime studying routine, however, help prepare your child for kindergarten by encouraging them to continue reading throughout the summer.
If they already know how, that’s awesome! If they haven’t yet mastered that skill, continue to read to them to keep their brains sharp. Also, the occasional worksheet or project with an educational slant is never a bad idea! Kids this age tend to enjoy the challenge of these kinds of activities!
Prepare yourself so that you can help prepare your child.
Unless you happen to be in early childhood education yourself, you probably aren’t quite sure exactly what skills your child will need to be successful in kindergarten. The truth is, at this age in child development, social and motor skills are just as important (if not more!) than academic skills.
Here are some “kindergarten readiness” skill descriptors that you can practice with your kiddo over the summer:
- Asks for help when needed
- OK with separating from family for a few hours
- Manages emotions appropriately
- Uses the bathroom independently
- Zips backpack, fastens pants, jacket, etc.
- Follows simple instructions and rules
- Takes turns and shares toys and other items
- Can sit and listen for at least 5-10 minutes
- Has a basic understanding of letters, numbers, colors, and shapes
- Recognizes their written name
- Uses pencil, crayons, glue, scissors, etc. confidently
- Can climb a ladder, hop on one foot, and kick a ball.
Think about the morning routine.
The first day of school will likely be filled with jitters for both you and your kindergartner, so help cut down on those butterflies with some careful planning ahead. Think about the time it will take to get your child up, washed, brushed, clothed, fed, packed, and out the door, then add 20 minutes of cushion time just in case!
Pack their lunch, fill their water bottle, and lay out their first day of school outfit the night before. Be sure their backpack is ready with any paperwork or other items needed. Have a healthy breakfast ready to go. Take some pictures, grab your Kleenex, and get to that bus stop with some time to spare. The last thing you want to be doing on this special day is rushing around!
Set up a homework space.
Homework in some shape or form will most likely be a part of your child’s kindergarten experience. It will likely be a super short task or worksheet but nevertheless preparing them is a great idea!
Create a homework space for your child and set out the expectations. Explain that they will need to follow certain rules regarding homework once school starts. Decide whether homework will be done as soon as the school day is done, or whether it will be after dinner or even after bath time.
Helping your child understand what to expect and having this structure in place helps them transition easier. This will also help to avoid the dreaded daily homework battle!
Create a space for them with a small desk and chair, or a specific location in the house. Hang helpful papers nearby that reinforce the basic skills children learn in kindergarten, such as the alphabet, a number line, and a list of sight words. Place all of their school supplies nearby and explain to them that this will be part of their new evening routine!
Encourage and support your child throughout the kindergarten school year…any beyond!
Starting kindergarten will definitely be one of the bigger transitions that your child has had to deal with thus far in their lives, so be sensitive to first day jitters. Answer their questions, address their concerns, and offer support and encouragement. The best reward will be knowing that you prepared your child for a smooth transition into kindergarten and created a great foundation for their education for years to come!
Please share any tips for how you prepare your child for kindergarten in the comments below. We would love to hear from you!
Jennifer O’Neill is an Independent Quality Provider with BabyQuip, helping families travel lighter and happier. She is a mother of two boys and enjoys working out, spending time with family and friends and of course, traveling.
Going to orientation is key. It really does help the kids to become familiar with their teacher and other classmates, which eases the transition.
This might be more appropriately titled…How to Prepare Yourself for Your Child Attending Kindergarten!!! HAHAHAHA! I was a total mess.