Preparing for pre-school

If you’re lucky enough to have gotten your child a place at a daycare center or preschool that’s accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), he’ll have been in a structured learning and social environment for some time.

Centers such as these provide a basic introduction to the skills and concepts that will help your child when he starts kindergarten, providing him with opportunities to interact with other children and adults. Nevertheless, the move to kindergarten can still be quite a stressful transition, both for you and for your child. Here are some ways in which you can ease the process for all concerned…

- Read books about kindergarten – they’re a great way to help your child voice his fears and can help to ease them too. Follow his lead and don‘t raise anything he doesn’t as you could just be putting new fears he hadn’t actually thought of into his head.

- Find out if your county offers a voluntary pre-kindergarten program and consider enrolling your child. Sometimes sessions may be offered at the elementary school your child will eventually attend and because they’re part-time (you can usually opt for mornings or two full school days) it’s a good way of easing your child into the concept of formal schooling while familiarizing him with his new school.

- Ahead of the first day of school, ask the school guidance counselor for a list of your child’s future classmates and make contact to set up playdates and break the ice. ?

- If your child hasn’t been in daycare or preschool, gradually get him used to spending time away from you, maybe with other family members. Another good option is a part-time summer camp in the run-up to kindergarten.

- Attend the school’s orientation and meet-the-teacher sessions, and walk around the school so he has an idea of where the cafeteria and bathrooms are (assuming his classroom doesn’t have a bathroom built on), and the route to his classroom from the bus. Reassure him that until he’s familiar with the layout of the school, his teacher will be on hand to meet the bus and will escort the children to the cafeteria for lunch, and she’ll also likely send children to the bathroom in pairs so they don’t get scared walking around the school by themselves.

- Talk to your child about the interesting things he’ll be doing at school and the new friends he’ll make – touch on things that you saw during the orientation session that appealed to him, such as the play equipment or the computer lab.??

- Don’t panic about getting your child reading and writing before he starts at kindergarten. His social skills are more important because he’ll be expected to cooperate and share with other children. If he hasn’t been at daycare or preschool, polish his skills in this area by going to as many local preschooler activity sessions as you can, and enroll him in.

- One of the most important skills for children at this stage is language – talking and reading to your child provide the best preparation in this area. He’ll likely know his ABC, numbers and colors – reinforce these concepts informally as you go about your daily activities – for example, point to letters on storefronts and ask if he can remember what they are; count how many steps it takes to walk to the car. Introduce more abstract concepts such as opposites.

- Take your child to school on his first day if at all possible but avoid a long-drawn-out goodbye. He may well be upset and anxious but you need to jolly him along – as soon as you leave he’ll be distracted by his new friends and the interesting things he’ll get to do on his first day.

- Above all, try to be upbeat and positive about the move to kindergarten – if you’re apprehensive about it, don’t let your child pick up on these emotions.

The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.