Getting Ready for Kindergarten

As a parent, you want what is best for your child and you try your best to set them up for success. Starting kindergarten is a major milestone (one that my youngest will be doing in the fall). As you think about prepping your child for this milestone, here are some considerations and resources to help. 

I am a huge fan of my daughter’s school and love sharing about what makes her school unique, so I volunteered to help with kindergarten visits this year. As an admission’s volunteer, I get to walk around with perspective parents and answer questions they may have about the school. On the tour at my daughter’s school, parents get to hear from high school seniors and a kindergarten teacher about what their child might experience at the school.

As I was sitting in the kindergarten classroom and listening to the teacher share what a day might be like for a kindergartener, I listened closely for what she said, what she implied, and what was left unsaid.

Overall, I listen for the teacher to describe that kids are learning in engaging and authentic ways that are enjoyable and purposeful. I also want to know that if my child was in her class, my child’s strengths and needs will be recognized and addressed. I am a huge believer that learning should be as authentic as possible and there should be opportunities to expand on kid’s questions and wonderings. I listen for teachers to talk about these things. Since I prefer learning experiences with minimal worksheets and workbooks, I also listen for whether or not these are highlighted.

 Preparing Your Child for a Successful Start

One of the main questions about literacy that came up during the visits was how to get your child prepared for kindergarten. The tour leader provided the best answer possible – read aloud to your child. Read to instill a love of reading, read to show how we hold a book, read to model what a reader does, read to let them hear fluent reading. I know this seems like a simple answer and it appears that it can’t be that easy or that your child will fall behind, however, if you do this one thing, your child will be better prepared than you can ever imagine.

 Why Reading Aloud is Good for Your Child

Also, check out these recommended books for parents that support reading aloud to your child:

Recommended Reading for Parents

I also believe that if you have additional time, you can play sound and letter games with your child – just make sure it is fun and not a chore – no drilling flashcards and no worksheets. If you want some ideas, visit these posts: 

What’s So Important about Phonemic Awareness

10 Super Fun Phonemic Awareness Activities

7 Principles of Teaching Your Child How Words Work

The Best Activity for Increasing Word Knowledge

What to Notice on Kindergarten Visits

I love when kindergarten teachers present about their day. It is great to hear their perspective and to see a peek into what the classroom is like for a kindergartener. As a former kindergarten teacher, I know that there is only so much you can cover in 30 minutes with parents and what you share is greatly influenced by what has happened recently in the classroom. I also know that sometimes talking to parents can make kindergarten teachers a little nervous since they usually talk with a much younger audience each day. While I recognize these things, there are some specific things I listen for as I think about whether or not I would want my child in their classroom.

Here is what I listen for:

• Does the teacher think about individual needs and goals?
• Do they provide time for collaboration?
• Do they encourage children to share their thoughts and why they are thinking that way?
• Do they encourage movement?
• Do they have a large library for students to choose books from?
• Do they encourage writing?
• Do they meet with children one on one?
• Do they foster independence?

These are great things to listen for as you make preparations for kindergarten (especially if you are making choices for your child’s schooling).

Advice for Making Choices

If you live in an area where there are many options and you are making a choice for your child’s kindergarten, I have a small bit of advice:

My best advice for parents is to choose the school that feels like the best fit for your family (and your challenges/considerations). Your child (and maybe even you) will be spending a great deal of time there so make sure it feels like a place you want to be. 

Another piece of advice that we received, that I would like to pass on, is that the decision can be for a time, not their whole school career.  If for some reason you find that a school is not the right fit for your child, you can explore other options and see if there is something that may be better for your child. While transitions may not always be easy, they may be the best thing to ever happen to your child.

If you are looking at schools and making decisions, I wish you the best of luck. If you are touring your child’s school (or future school) and you get a chance to talk with teachers, pay attention to how you feel and what is said and how that resonates with you. 

Wishing everyone the best in their schooling experience whether in a public school, independent school, charter school, boarding school, or homeschool!