Kindergarten is a big step! The social circle is expanding rapidly beyond caregivers, and the child is becoming more aware of self and others. There has been much research on which skills children need to get ready for kindergarten. The Kindergarten Entry Skills project (McIntyre, 2007) surveyed kindergarten teachers and identified skills they look for in incoming kindergarten students. According to the Kindergarten Entry Skills survey, skills include the ability to:
• separate from parents without excessive crying
• manage own bathroom needs
• verbalize needs and wants
• sit through an age-appropriate story without interrupting
• work independently for short periods of time
• follow simple directions
• respect limits and rules
• care for belongings
Ways to Increase Children's Social-Emotional Competency for Kindergarten:
Familiarize your child with the new school before it starts:
• play at the school playground during the summer
• find out who's in the class and arrange play dates during the summer
• invite classmates and their parents over during the summer
Get your child excited during the weeks leading up to kindergarten:
• Talk to your child about the positive changes that will occur when he/she goes to kindergarten. Share about all of the fun, new experiences and activities that “big kids” get to participate in while they are in school.
• Let your child assist when purchasing school clothes and supplies. After bringing the items home, let your child talk about all of the wonderful things that he/she will be able to make with the new crayons, glue, scissors, etc.
Provide your pre-k child with reading experiences that discuss going to kindergarten
Reading books about a potentially stressful situation, with a parent, can take the stress out of the situation. Here are a few book suggestions parents can share with their child:
• Ready for Kindergarten by Sharon Wilkins [Zondervan, 2000]
• Let's Get Ready for Kindergarten! by Stacey Kannenberg [Cedar Valley Publishing,
2006]
• Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate and Ashley Wolff
[Puffin, 2001]
Read, read, read to your child every day! (Reasons to turn off the TV and read with children)
Talk to your children about their feelings: help them name feelings, understand and express them; this affects how children view themselves and others, and helps them cope with stress (Raising an emotionally intelligent child)
Give your child a chore to do during the summer to develop a sense of responsibility and self-esteem
Make sure your child gets plenty of sleep, and establish good routines for going to bed at night and getting up in the morning
Provide your child plenty of opportunities to get outdoor exercise and spend quality time with family and friends
Expect regressive behavior before kindergarten starts: children may rely on previously acquired self-comforting behaviors to help manage any fears
• shyness
• thumb sucking, needing a blanket
• clingy behavior
As school and new classmates become more familiar, self-comforting behaviors will occur less frequently.
Visit SF K Files- a place for parents who are seeking a kindergarten in San Francisco. The site offers up reviews of public, private, and parochial schools, as well as lots of advice and opinions from the community of parents who frequent the blog.
Sara Shaw, M.S., MFT is a Consultant for the Family Service Agency of San Francisco and has a private practice in Pacific Heights (www.sarashaw.com)
Comments
Great tips!! I am so glad you focus on building a social network for your child before going to Kindergarten so that they know other children in their classroom!!! So important! Thanks for recognizing our book among that amazing group of Kindergarten books! It's an honor!
We have Let's Get Ready for Kindergarten and it is the perfect little book to prepare kids for their big First Day. We used both the Spanish and English versions and played school at home. Lots of fun for all!
As a former Kindergarten teacher ~ I LOVE your tips, especially encouraging parents to give their children summer time "jobs!" Helping kids build self esteem through responsibility is KEY regardless of the age. As a mom of a 4 1/2 year old we LOVE Let's Get Ready for Kindergarten! by Stacey Kannenberg!! I highly recommend it to all parents!
"Let's Get Ready for Preschool" is also such a fantastic book by Stacey Kannenberg. We are such big fans and I recommend it to everyone! My son loves it and it did wonders for him. We can't wait to read the next one before he goes to Kindergarten. It's perfect!
Starting school for the first time is so scary!! Getting Ready for Kindergarten ensures that each child will not only be ready, but so excited to get there the first day! I recommend Stacey Kannenberg's book to every new parent I meet!! It's perfect!
We have used "Lets Get Ready for Kindergarten" in our house and I absolutely love the entire series. They are so easy for the kids to work with. My daughter is going to be entering first grade this next school season, so we have now graduated to the next level in the series, "Lets Get Ready for First Grade". She loves it because she can use it over and over again and it never gets boring!
Great tips for any family with kids in this age group. It's been a million years since that was me, but honestly, I wish I'd had a book like "Let's Get Ready for Kindergarten" before my kids started school.
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