Getting Ready for Kindergarten from qocsuing's blog

Getting Ready for Kindergarten

Starting kindergarten is a momentous event for children and their parents. It can be exciting and scary – and often both at the same time. But there are lots of strategies to make the transition a smooth one.To get more news about kindergarten, you can visit wikifx.com official website.

Here's some advice on what to expect and how to help your child adjust to starting school this fall.
Get Excited About Kindergarten
Parents can start the new school year off on a good foot by getting their child excited for kindergarten well before the first day of school.

Michael Little is an assistant professor at North Carolina State University whose work focuses on early childhood and early grade education policy. He says research shows that the transition to kindergarten is easiest when kids start talking about it early and often.

“This could be parents reading books about kindergarten to their kids or pre-K teachers coordinating a ‘moving up’ day where students visit a kindergarten classroom to see what it is all about,” he says.

Parents can also try to set up a time before school for their child to meet other classmates, maybe at the playground or a local park. Seeing a familiar face on the first day of school will make the transition easier.

As for books, The Horn Book Guide, which provides professional reviews of children's literature, recommends a number of back-to-school picture books for parents to read with their kids to address worries and help spur conversations. Some to consider include:
Learn to Say Goodbye
Saying goodbye can be the toughest part of beginning kindergarten, especially if your child has not attended preschool or day care. Experts say the way kids react is often linked to how parents respond to the separation.

“It can be challenging for children to leave to go to school, especially at the beginning, and it can be heartbreaking for parents and guardians as well,” says Ann Fitzgerald-Brown, a kindergarten teacher in Franklin, Massachusetts. “It is important for children to see their families being happy and calm and excited for them to begin their kindergarten year, because they in turn will be more relaxed and happier.”
The longer the goodbye, the longer the cry,” says Sue Austin, who has been teaching kindergarten for 33 years just outside of Buffalo, New York. “If parents stick around, it makes the kid feel like they have a reason to be crying.”

In addition to smiles and hugs and saying "I love you," another helpful strategy is to let your child know specifically when you will see them later in the day. Austin says she always makes sure there is a schedule on the wall in her classroom so kids know exactly what activities they have and how much time is left in the day before they go home.

Parents can also find small ways to make the time apart more fun. Fitzgerald-Brown says it can be helpful for family members to write notes and leave them in lunches as a surprise for their child to discover during the day.
Focus on Physical and SEL Skills
Kindergarten teachers aren’t expecting your child to come to school an expert at reading, writing and math. Those are meant to be learned in the classroom. They are more interested in children having practiced the social-emotional skills that underlie learning, like being able to listen to directions and complete tasks independently.

Parents can start working on these skills at home through games and other activities. For instance, scavenger hunts give students a chance to work on following directions.