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Tools for School

Getting Your Child Ready for Kindergarten

By Kendeyl Johansen

Does preparing a child for school really pay off? Geiger thinks so. Her son has learned to do things independently in his pre-K program, such as printing his name on papers and opening and cleaning up his lunch himself. He also now listens to and follows directions well. "He's come a long way from the bouncy boy he was at the beginning of the year," says Geiger. "He is really well behaved in class." Beth agrees. "Alexis adjusted well to kindergarten. I really think her preschool experience made her able to handle the transition well." She adds that talking to her daughter about her own fear of starting school also helped.

To address your own fears about your child starting school, Dr. Ford suggests remembering that all kids go through this transition. "Some kids are anxious and some are not. Kids that are less eager get over it quickly. Visit the school and get involved, not necessarily just with the child's classroom but with the whole school."

Take some time and prepare your child and yourself for kindergarten. Then like Geiger, Skarupa and others, you can walk away on your Kindergartener's first day confident that you both are ready for school.

 

Pre-Kindergarten Skills to Target Dr. Laurie Ford, a child psychologist from the University of South Carolina specializing in preschool development, recommends several areas to work on for kindergarten preparation. Language -- Discuss real-life experiences, such as fixing breakfast. Read to your child and invite her to talk about the pictures or retell the story. Motor Skills -- Develop fine-motor skills by drawing, coloring and writing letters and numbers. Put puzzles together. Practice using scissors. Independence -- Have your child dress himself and wash his own face and hands. Socialization -- Help your child learn to initiate contact with other children. Make sure she understands that hitting, biting or yelling are inappropriate ways to show anger. Provide opportunities to practice appropriate social behavior by playing in the park with other kids or inviting friends over.