How to Get a Child Ready for Kindergarten

Whether through formal preschool or other activities, preparing your child for kindergarten is vital to ensuring success. By introducing concepts and social skills long before the first day, kindergarten will be a great experience for both you and your little one.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Research preschools, preschool activities or co-op preschools in your area. Look for activities that emphasize educational as well as social programs.
2. Decide how many and what kind of activities to enroll in. This will depend on age, previously attended programs and your schedule.
3. Check with your choice of preschools and get enrollment information. This should include details on the ages they take, whether potty training is required and how many hours you need to volunteer.
4. Choose activities that emphasize early reading and language skills. Choose television programs that teach letters, numbers and colors, but limit these to about one hour per day.
5. Participate in sports activities that emphasize the experience. Stay away from programs that are competitive at this age.
6. Read aloud to your child everyday. Encourage them to "read" familiar stories back to you, or close the book and have them tell you the story.
   
   
7. Find opportunities to engage children in social settings such as a place of worship. Use these times to teach good behavior and how to sit for longer periods of time.
   
   

Tips & Warnings

• Review hand washing and personal hygiene lessons regularly before the first day. Talk about basic classroom skills, such as raising hands, taking turns and not talking while the teacher is talking.
• Practice colors, number and letters using fun activities throughout the day. Learning takes place all around us in natural ways.
• Don't be pressured into preschool if you feel you can adequately prepare your child at home. Preschool is not compulsory, and only you know if your child will benefit from a structured program at this age.
• Don't overdo learning activities. Understand that your child's attention span is still developing. Let playtime be learning time. This will help your child have a lifelong love of learning.