If you have a soon-to-be kindergartener, there are simple ways to help him get ready for the transition.

Brought to You by Read 20…

Creating a Community of Readers

If kindergarten’s around the corner . . .

Spend the summer preparing your little one for “big-kid school”

If you have a child who will be starting kindergarten in August, now is the time to make sure he’s ready to take that big step. As you enjoy those short weeks of summer, find ways to incorporate “school talk” into casual conversation with your child and to help him hone the practical and social skills he’ll need when he becomes an official kindergartener.
Here are some useful tips, provided by kindergarten teachers, for how parents can make sure their little ones are prepared—physically, psychologically and socially—for “big-kid school” when August rolls around.

• Get your child excited about her new school. Talk often about how much fun it will be to go to “the big school” and about what she will do there.
• Tell your child how proud you are that he is growing up and doing so many things by himself. Tell him you know he’ll do well in his new school. This will help him feel confident about handling the new experiences ahead.
• Place your child in situations where she needs to follow directions—one step at first, then two, then three. Teach her to rehearse directions in order to remember them.
• Teach your child self-care skills such as independent toileting, hand washing, buttoning and zipping.
• Put your child in some situations where he can’t do the expected task and must ask for help.  If he doesn’t know how to ask for help, demonstrate politely asking—and then wait for the child to imitate you before you assist him.
• Read with your child at least 20 minutes a day. Talk together about the pictures and the story. If your child does not like to sit still for that long, try reading for a briefer time each day; even if the book time is only two minutes long, make it a happy time. You will then notice how your child’s attention span increases.
• If you child watches TV, watch it with her—especially shows like Reading Rainbow, Mr. Rogers, and Sesame Street. Talk together about what you are seeing.
• Let your child help you sort the laundry, set the table, cook, bake, put away groceries and organize his books and toys. All of these are classification tasks, related to school skills.
• Teach your child to do simple tasks at home. Most young children can learn to hang up their coats and make their beds. It is good to have a “school box” at home, where the child is expected to keep crayons, scissors, pencils and erasers in order. Let your child help you with light household chores. These very practical jobs also develop physical coordination.
• Be sure your child has lots of opportunities to run, jump, climb, and play outside. These activities can be done in a city neighborhood, in a rural area or at a park; they cannot usually be done inside a house! Children who have learned to control their own bodies in space are usually more confident in new situations and more capable of managing complex motor tasks, like walking in a line.
• Any time you teach your child to do something new, break the task into little parts and teach each part (for example, setting the table, picking up toys). Reward with praise whatever she does successfully. Very few people praise a child too much; most of us praise too little.
• When you go places with your child, talk about what you see. Point out their characteristics (color, size, shape) and names. Try to be conversational, as you would with an adult, rather than constantly quizzing your child. (“Oh, look at the red house,” rather than, “What color is this house?” or “I like the big pumpkin best—which one do you like?” rather than, “Show me the big pumpkin.”)
• When you get home from an errand or outing, ask your child to tell another family member what you did. This skill is called recasting, closely related to reading comprehension. If your child has difficulty retelling the event, help him out a bit.
• Point out letters, words and numbers you see together: McDonald’s, the house numbers, names of family members on the mail. This will provide a foundation for learning symbols in reading.
• Frequently count objects, touching them as you count. This will help your child realize that numbers represent sets of things.
• Talk often about interesting jobs your child might have when she grows up—not just about making lots of money at a job. Make sure your child knows that most jobs require working hard and doing well in school.

• Teach your child to appreciate that every person is unique and special; that human differences are a wonderful part of our world and are not a threat; and that all people need to help others as well asbe helped by others in order to live happily.
• Enjoy the time you spend with your child. The positive and trusting attitudes about people and the world that your child learns now will remain with him throughout life.