7 Tips to Help Your Get Child Ready for Kindergarten

The countdown to Kindergarten is on. It’s hard to believe but my baby is five and off to kindergarten in August. Where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday I was at kindergarten orientation for my older daughter, feeling super emotional and completely terrified. Will she be prepared? What if she gets lost? How will she find her bus?

Halfway through my panic attack, the kindergarten teachers shared all the skills each child should have in place before the first day of school and that’s when my anxiety skyrocketed. It was overwhelming, to say the least, but we made it through our first year with only a few minor hiccups. Now as a seasoned elementary school mom I know what to expect and how to help Adriana get prepared for Big Kids School.

I highly recommend registering your child for kindergarten camp at their new school. This is a great way for your child to meet the teachers, learn the layout of the school, navigate the kindergarten pod, and make a few new friends.

With just over three weeks until school starts it’s time to take inventory of what they know.

Writing their name:

It is important that your child knows the correct way to spell their name using capital and lowercase letters. Start by practicing the first name only.

Alphabet:

Take time to review the ABCs as well as the ability to recognize upper and lowercase letters and the sound each letter makes.

Numbers:

Teach your child to recognize and count numbers one through ten. By the end of their kindergarten year, they will be able to count to 100.

Power words:

Your child will learn 60 power words during their first year of kindergarten. This is so important to master because recognizing power words plays a key role in learning to read. Get a head start with a pack of power word flashcards or free printable worksheets you can find online.

Emergency contact information:

Make sure your child knows their first and last name, their parent’s names, and home address. Memorizing mom and dad’s phone numbers is important too, but you can work on that during the school year.

Independence: 

In addition to basic academics, we need to empower our children to learn to do things by themselves. Help your child develop independence by learning how to work belts, zippers, buttons and have them practice going to the bathroom and washing their hands without any help. Lunchtime is also an opportunity to practice opening fruit cups, storage containers and juice boxes, etc.

Preparing for the first day:

Make sure to go on the school’s website to find the kindergarten school supplies list and the date for Meet the Teacher Day. This is when you find out who your child’s teacher will be and where the classroom is located. This is also another opportunity to help them navigate the school campus.

Finally, it’s time to establish a new routine for getting to bed early as well as getting ready for school in the morning. It is helpful to start this two weeks before school starts to allow for trial and error.  I also find it super helpful to layout, their clothes and assemble lunch box items the night before to avoid a chaotic morning.

On the first day of school give yourself plenty of time to help your child get ready, eat a full breakfast, and pose for the ceremonial first day of school pictures.

And don’t forget to throw some tissues in your purse!