Are you excited to send your child to kindergarten?
Kindergarten today is different from how it was two decades ago. There are many things kids are exposed to today. With a solid foundation and knowledge, kids will have a much easier time adjusting. Kindergarten is full of learning and growth. They learn to play games, enjoy music and arts. They learn new letters and words. They play with blocks, sand, and straws. They recognize names, they count, and they identify. They make friends, eat together at breaks, and do hands-on activities. The kids will love the idea of learning something new through play.
It is an excellent experience as parents to see your child start a new journey. Parents want their kids to have a terrific experience at school. Kids this age will ask a lot of questions and are always curious. They have the funniest things to say. They learn to think to themselves, “how can I do this?”. Stepping into a new school or learning something new will be fun for them. This kindergarten journey helps them to gain self-confidence, independence, and self-reliance.
As parents, you have doubts whether your child will be able to take care on their own. Will they have issues staying long for many hours at school? Are they potty-trained? Will they eat without making a fuss? Will they be shy to answer? Whatever the case, be sure you lovingly deal with them. Instill the love for learning and school in your child in the initial days. Also, develop play-based learning into their routines. Know that preparing your child will go a long way in giving them a solid foundation.
How do you know whether your child is ready to go to kindergarten?
The best way to know if your child is ready is to prepare them for it. Playing with your kids, reading books, and helping them reach out will all matter. Even before going to school, parents should teach their kids manners. They should teach them to show kindness and respect. Teach your kids to listen without interruption. It increases their listening and hearing skills. Ask them to focus on little things without distraction.
Give them responsibility and ask them to finish it. Expose them to numbers, letters, and alphabets. Would you mind helping them to open up and mingle with other kids? There are some skills needed before sending your kid to school, and you can help them by practicing some of them ahead of time. Here I have listed some easy-to-follow a checklist that you might want to check. This will make sure that your kids are ready to go to school.
Some of the academic skills expected are:
- Recognizing letters starting from 1-2
- Identifying primary colors- red, blue, green, yellow, white, and black
- Identifying alphabets a to z
- Say words that rhyme
- Sort by color, size, shape
- Ask them to hold the pencil, crayon, or scale properly
- Point at objects and say their names
- Write their name with uppercase and lowercase
- Hold a book, note, and turn pages
- Say parent’s name, number, and address
Nursery rhymes are a great way to get kids ready. Reading out to them also helps a lot. Over time they will start reading by themselves too. Take time in between reading to make them understand. Talk to them how much ever you can. It could be just about anything. Be clear in your ideas and teaching.
Let them understand your instructions. Would you mind helping them to pick words and process them? This will ensure they get familiar with the information you give. There are some non-academic skills needed for your child to get familiar with, and you can start teaching them at home before they make their way to kindergarten.
Some of the non-academic skills expected are:
- Teach them bathroom needs
- Speak about wants and needs
- Throw a ball and ask them to catch it
- Focusing on activities for a few minutes
- Listening without interruption
- Clear up after playing
- Follow directions
- Washing hands
- Coughing and wiping manners
- Carry his backpack
- Using glue and scissors
Conclusion:
However, your child may be ready and head out for her first day of school. You have to ensure that your child is prepared to do some things required in their starting years. Start with the basics at home.
Don’t put pressure if you feel your child hasn’t got everything right. Kids learn a lot when they enter kindergarten. The most important thing is to teach children to do themselves and not rely on you entirely. Give a chance to your kids to show you what they can do. You might be surprised to know what they are capable of.
Till then, have fun learning and teaching your child as always!
