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Home › Articles › Preparing for Kindergarten › Tools for School

Tools for School

Getting Your Child Ready for Kindergarten

By Kendeyl Johansen

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, says that children usually resist learning for three reasons:

  1. The activity is not developmentally appropriate.
  2. The activity is too long and they become bored.
  3. The activity lacks the child's involvement.

She urges parents to take advantage of "teachable moments." This means taking time to teach a child when they're eager to learn despite hectic schedules. She suggests making learning fun by providing hands-on activities and maximizing learning by keeping lessons geared to the appropriate attention span.

girls drawing Wilkins drew on 30 years of teaching experience to write Ready For Kindergarten, which incorporates 150 activities to prepare kids for school. "Growing gardens with my kindergarteners, converting plastic bottles into imaginary objects, reading books, singing songs and wiping an occasional tear helped me to understand young children and how they learn best," says Wilkins.

Wilkins stresses that parents need to prepare the total child, not just the academic child. She feels that teaching social skills like respect, sharing, courage to try and peaceful problem solving are just as important as teaching kids to write their name and cut with scissors. She suggests that parents role-model desirable character traits. For example, kids learn how to show respect if they've been respected and children develop the courage to try if parents believe in them. Elisabeth Abbott of Virginia worries about her spirited 5-year-old daughter getting along with others. Using role modeling, she helps her daughter practice social skills at home. They also discuss why it's important to play nicely.

Fight First Day Fears
To help build excitement for kindergarten, Brette Reiman of Philadelphia often discusses school with her 5-year-old twins. They talk about the daily routine, making new friends, and that they'll do similar activities to those enjoyed in preschool. "They've expressed a little bit of concern by asking more questions than usual lately, but they can't wait to start school and are especially excited about 'the bus!'" says Brette. Her preparations mesh well with Dr. Ford's recommendations of driving by the school, playing in the schoolyard, and talking to kids about school experiences such as teachers, cafeterias and recess. Ford also advises discussing why you liked school and having an older sibling list five things they like about school.


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