For children starting kindergarten, and their parents, the first day of school this year is an exciting step that can be a little scary, too.
When they enter kindergarten, kids are at an age when their receptivity to new influences and capacity to learn are at their peak. The skills and attitudes about school they develop now will influence them for years to come.
No pressure, right?
Ease some of your anxieties about the first day of school by making sure your child is prepared with fun activities at home that encourage children to talk, explore, experiment and wonder about the world, instilling them with a natural love of learning.
Here are some useful tips for parents to ease the transition to school, from the Toronto Catholic District School Board.
Before the School Year Starts
1. Talk to your child about school.
Talk to your child about what school will be like and all the fun and wonderful things they will learn. Have a chat about the first day of school and the new people they will meet. Visit your local library together to pick up some books about school and about making new friends.
2. Visit the school.
Take a walk or a bike ride and visit the school with your child before the school year starts. Show them the school grounds and their classroom.
3. Explain to your child how they will get to school each day.
Will you walk with them, drive them, or take the school bus? Remind your child how they will get home and who will pick them up. If your child is taking the school bus, show them the bus stop and teach them to wait for the bus on the sidewalk, well back from the road. Remind your child about listening to the driver and sitting in their seat. Help your child recognize their regular stop and that they should only get off the school bus “here.”
4. Help your child become familiar with words.
- Show your child photographs of familiar people and places and let your child tell you about them
- Read to your child and take them to the library and take home books and magazines. Talk with your child about the stories to help them understand their meaning.
- Show your child printed words and alphabet letters and practice the sounds the letters make
- Help your child learn to read and print his/her name
5. Help your children learn about shapes, sizes and colours.
- Have some fun! Give your child things to short by shape, size, or colour. Items like socks, toys, and food are great items for this game!
- Help your child find and name shapes and colours all around them.
6. Help your child learn to count and understand that numbers have meaning.
- Play counting games with your child, count things around your home and in your community.
- Show your child how numbers are used all around them for example at the grocery store, while cooking and using the telephone.
Remember, for young kids, learning is play. So treat these activities like play.
Setting Your Daily Routine
7. Start your child’s day with a healthy breakfast.
8. Have your child assist you with packing his/her lunch and snacks for the day.
>>See “39 Healthy Back-to-School Lunch and Snack Items To Stock Up On”
9. Make sure your child gets to bed early.
Children require 10 to 12 hours of sleep every night.
10. Dress them right.
Ensure that your child is dressed in comfortable clothes for the day’s weather and teach your child how to be independent when dressing for all seasons; as well as who and how to ask for help when they need it.
About the TCDSB Kindergarten Program: The Toronto Catholic District School Board offers a number of specialized Kindergarten services. The Kindergarten Intervention and Needs Program (KIND) is provided for students who are having difficulty adjusting to school and supports a child’s ability to follow classroom routines, develop social skills, and strengthen academic abilities. The Kindergarten Language Program delivers intensive language and literacy support to students in Senior Kindergarten who have delayed oral language development.
PHOTO: WOODLYWONDERWORKS/FLICKR CC
This article was first published in August 2013 and was updated in August 2014.
My son Leo is about to enter kindergarten, and I’m quite nervous because I know he’ll be uncomfortable on his first day. I guess these tips will help prepare him; I’ll make sure to read to take him to the library and read to hime before the school starts. Before all of these, I must find a kindergarten program for him first.
I like how you said to talk to your child about the school. My son is going to kindergarten this year. Thanks for the tips on the first day of kindergarten.
I like your advice to talk to your child about what they’ll do at kindergarten and visit the school before it starts in order to get them used to the ground and their classroom. It could also help to see if you can take them to meet their teacher beforehand as well. Meeting the teacher could help them be more comfortable with them as well as have the opportunity to ask questions about kindergarten so that they know what will happen.