Entering kindergarten – How to prepare a child

For both children and mothers (also fathers), entering kindergarten is very difficult. Is it possible to manage this separation of the child from the parent in peace and without tears?

Entering kindergarten is another stage of development for the child. The third year of a child’s life is considered to be the age when the child is mentally and socially developed, it is necessary to support this development by starting to attend a group of children of the same or similar age – a kindergarten. At the age of three, the child is also ready, according to experts, to break away from his parents and start new adventures with his peers.

However, all this does not mean that the child can cope with such a big and fundamental change immediately. The acclimatization to the nursery, and the overall new environment, should be gradual and without crying.

Children who begin kindergarten with a solid foundation and knowledge base will have a much easier time adjusting. They don’t have to know everything but these 4 important skills will help them make an easy transition.

When kids are getting ready for kindergarten, many parents wonder about academic skills. But self-care and social and emotional skills are important for kindergarten readiness, too. For example, does your child need help using the toilet? Can he ask and thank? Can he share toys? Does he know how to write his names?

I wrote down for you 4 skills kids are expected to have when they start kindergarten.

1. Self-care skills

• Use the bathroom and wash up on their own
• Get dressed on their own – may still need help with buttons, zippers, and shoelaces
• Know and can say their first and last name and age

2. Social and emotional skills

• Separate from a parent or caregiver without getting overly upset
• Interact with other kids
• Pay attention for at least five minutes to a task an adult is leading – like listening to directions for an activity or discussing the day’s weather during circle time

3. Fine motor skills

• Use a pencil or crayon with some control
• Use scissors and glue
• Copy basic shapes
• Make distinct marks that look like letters and write some actual letters, especially the ones in their name
• Put together a simple puzzle

4. Language skills

• Speak in complete sentences and be understood by others most of the time
• Use words to express needs and wants
• Make comparisons and describe relationships between objects like big/little, under/over, and first/last

10 Important Things will help kids make an easy entering kindergarten

1. Say their first and last name and age
2. Verbalize wants and needs
3. Handle a book – not read it, but rather be able to locate the cover, hold it the right direction and turn the pages.
4. Get dressed
5. Be independent in the bathroom
6. Use scissors, glue and crayons
7. Identify some letters and letter sounds
8. Count to 10
9. Rhyme
10. Separate from their parents 

Don’t forget…

• Kids develop skills at different rates and might be strong in some areas and weak in others.
• Some states use kindergarten readiness tests to see if kids need extra help in certain areas.
• If you’re concerned your child might not be ready for kindergarten, talk to your child’s preschool teacher about how to help.

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