Helping Your Child Transition to School
Starting kindergarten is a big step for every child. They will have new rules and expectations. They will make new friends. And most importantly, they will learn many new things. To help your child not become overwhelmed, you can start with the basics at home.
In additional to working with your child on the focus skills listed below, it is suggested that you also consider the following:
Emphasize listening when others speak.
Have your child practice following simple directions.
Practice finding the way to and from school, if within walking distance.
Visit museums, and/or your public library and read with your child.
Establish a routine so there is an easy transition to school routines.
If applicable, discuss riding the bus safely. Rules can be found on the Transportation Department page of the district website.
Visit your school’s playground so the child becomes familiar with the area.
Participate with your child in back to school events.
Entering kindergarten is often more stressful for parents than for children. As such, leaving them at the door or putting them on the bus can cause tears (for both parent and child). Please know that we are sensitive to this issue. The best thing you can do for your children is to let them know that they are off to a great adventure, that they will be safe, and that you will be there when they return. Walking them to the door may result in clinging and crying that can be avoided by creating a positive climate and sending them off with a smile! Walking unassisted to their classroom is the first step to independence. We assure you that we will take good care of each and every one of them. We look forward to having your family as part of our kindergarten family.
Your child should have strength and should be able to make quick, precise movements with their hands and fingers before they are being asked to use a pencil. Fine motor skill activities (i.e., molding and rolling Play-Doh, stringing beads, working on a puzzle, playing with Legos or other small toys) support your child’s fine motor development, and will help to build the strength and dexterity necessary to hold a pencil properly.
Show your child the proper way to hold a pencil. Put the pencil on the bending middle finger between the joint part of the thumb and forefinger. Have your child grip the pencil with thumb and forefinger. Be sure the pencil is resting on the hand, not sticking up in the air. Also make sure your child doesn’t have a tense grip holding the pencil.
Before learning to write, it is important that your child has practice tracing and drawing with a pencil to gain basic pencil-control skills. These activities lead to the ability to form letters and numerals. Start first with straight vertical lines and then progress to more challenging lines, such as curved, zigzag, and diagonal.
Use a variety of tools such as a magnet board, dry-erase board, crayons, pencils and markers. Check that your child is holding the tool. You may even consider having your child practice writing his/her name using different items around the house, such as pudding, rice, sand or shaving cream.
Cut apart letters of your child’s name (or use magnetic letters) and have him/her put them back in the correct order saying the name of each letter while doing so.
Label your child’s door and other objects so his/her name can be seen in print.
Read counting books together.
Point out numbers in license plates, in the store, in your home and all around you.
Use magnetic numbers to have your child practice naming them. Have your child put the numbers of your phone number in order saying each number while doing so.
Practice writing numbers with a variety of materials such as pencils, crayons, markers, sidewalk chalk, etc.
Have your child count his/her own snacks such as pretzels, baby carrots, grapes, etc.
Count each item as you pick up 10 things to put away in the house or bedroom.
Count the number of stair steps in your house or the number of steps from your car to the store.
Read and enjoy alphabet books together.
Help your child recognize letters of the alphabet in everyday life (i.e., restaurants, road signs, store signs, cereal boxes, etc.)
Explore with magnetic letters.
Discuss how to open a book from the front cover. Point out the front and back of the book. Discuss how the front is where the story begins and the back is where it ends.
Discuss how to hold a book so it is not upside down and where to start reading.
Read with your child on a daily basis. See section below for tips on reading to your child.
The eight primary colors are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, and black.
When your child is coloring, ask what colors are used.
Have your child draw a picture and ask him/her to color the objects in certain colors.
Have your child sort objects by color such as clothes, blocks, Skittles, M&Ms, or Fruit Loops while naming the colors.
Discuss colors of things in the world around you such as the sky, the grass, cars, clothing items, etc.
The six basic shapes are circle, triangle, square, oval, diamond, and rectangle.
Point out objects in your environment that have the basic shapes such as doors, windows, clocks, can tops, kites, etc.
Have our child draw the shapes or cut them from a magazine. Then practice naming each shape.
Personal information includes items such as first name, last name, parents’ names, phone number and address.
Have your child practice important phone numbers on a play telephone.
Make up a rhyme or song to go along with your phone number that your child can remember. Practice it regularly.
Allow your child opportunities to explore using pencils, glue, scissors, markers, crayons, etc. Be sure to explain safety with these tools as well.
Discuss rules and set expectations for using the tools (i.e., “crayons are for writing on paper, not the wall” or “you may cut paper when you are sitting at the table” or “if you leave the cap off the marker, it will dry out.”)
Remember your child needs time to explore with the tools before performing tasks such as writing letters or cutting on a line.
Cutting activities will exercise the same muscles which are needed to hold and control a pencil. By planning scissor activities of varying complexity, you can help your child develop and strengthen their fine motor skills. The following cutting skills are arranged in order from simplest to most difficult: snipping, cutting on short lines, cutting on longer lines, cutting shapes and cutting spirals.
Your child should practice buttoning, snapping, tying and zipping his/her clothes.
Teach your child how and when to blow his/her nose and wash his/her hands.
Your child should be able to go to the bathroom independently.
Tips for Reading to Your Child
Read to your child for at least fifteen minutes each day. Pick a time when your child wants to listen and when there are no distractions. Bedtime is usually a good time.
Sit next to your child and hold the book so that the child can see it.
Allow your child to choose some of the books she/he wants you to read aloud.
Look at the book cover before reading. Point out the title, author and illustrator.
Your child may want to hear the same story over and over again. Repetition builds knowledge in beginning reading. Encourage your child to finish predictable phrases or rhymes.
Allow the child to interrupt you and ask questions or comment on the story. Ask what might happen next, or that she/he might do in the same situation, this strengthens thinking skills. Some helpful questions:
a. What happened at the beginning, middle, or end of the story?
b. What do you think will happen next?
c. Why do you think the character did that?
d. What would you have done if you were that character?
e. What was the best thing about the story?
Encourage children in your family or neighborhood to read to each other. This is good for both the reader and the listener.
Try to relate stories to things your child has seen on television, in the movies, or in the course of his/her daily life. This will give more meaning to the reading.
Draw attention to the pictures as part of the story.
Don’t stretch your child’s attention span to the breaking point when you are reading aloud. Fifteen minutes is about the maximum time for a beginning reader.
Poetry is excellent for reading aloud because rhyming is very important in learning to read.
Make sure your child sees you as a reader: reading a newspaper, enjoying a book, reading a catalog, etc.
Consider giving books as a present so they become associated with a pleasurable experience and have special meaning.