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Kindergarten Ready

Secrets of Preschool Teachers of the Year

By Laura Cone

Butler-Boyesen says parents often make the mistake of underestimating their children. In addition to reading, she suggests taking your children on excursions other than McDonald's playland. "Get out and about and do all kinds of different experiences, whether it's going to museums, going out to lunch and sitting down and eating at a little caf窠not just fast-food places that are quick and child-friendly," she says. "Most children can order from a menu and sit and wait and have a conversation and talk about things you see."

While sitting with your preschooler, talk to them about what they see on the menu. Ask them to find words that start with different letters, she says.

Butler-Boyesen says she does send homework home with her pre-K students, but it's not "heavy-duty homework." Her purpose in sending home homework is to help children get used to the idea of responsibility. Also, parents get used to taking an active part in their children's academic lives.

Decades ago, kindergarteners spent most of the day socializing with other children. With so many national standards in place, kindergarteners need to already have social skills in place. If your child does not attend a pre-K class, consider getting him or her involved in playgroups or music lessons.

"It can be very hard for a child who has been home with Mom and had Mom's full attention and go into a class," Butler-Boyesen says. "It can be very daunting. They have not learned how to share adult attention. They can be overwhelmed by all those other kids."

In addition to having social skills, kindergarteners need to be able to read and write simple sentences, according to Butler-Boyesen. "It used to be kindergarten was getting used to being in a social group," she says. "Now there are so many more academic loads on top of that. There is a much higher demand on kids."

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