Preparing Your Child for Kindergarten

Sending your child off to kindergarten can be both an exciting and daunting time for you and your child. Preschool is great preparation for kindergarten, however, preschool is not for everyone. Preschool helps children to begin developing social skills, cognitive skills, language skills and beyond. If your child attended preschool, it’s likely that he or she has already become well acquainted with being around other peers. As a parent, it’s helpful to stay in touch with other parents of your child’s preschool classmates. That way, your child can continue to socialize with them throughout the summer.

If your child did not attend preschool, you can socialize your child with the children of neighbors or friends, or even attend organized play groups. Socialization will teach your child the importance of sharing, being respectful and developing basic people-skills.

It is also a good idea to have your child become familiar with skills that they will be learning in kindergarten. Below are a few skills you can start to teach your child now to give them a head start:

  • Identifying alphabet letters
  • Gripping a pencil and crayon correctly
  • Using children’s scissors
  • Writing his or her first name
  • Counting to 10
  • Repeating his or her full name, address, phone number and birthday

Don’t worry if your child can’t do everything on the list. He or she will get there throughout the course of kindergarten.

It’s a good idea to talk to your child about what will happen in kindergarten and what to expect. All of these steps can help make the transition to kindergarten smoother for your child.