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If your child will
become a kindergartner in the fall, congratulations! He or she is about to
embark on a great adventure.
Although this change
can be filled with new discoveries, the anticipation of what is to come may be
unsettling. The uneasiness that your child might feel is not only
understandable, it’s normal. Even if he/she has been involved in a preschool
or day care program, kindergarten is the beginning of a more mature phase in
his/her educational career. For some children, kindergarten may seem just a
continuation of what they are already experiencing. For them, playing and
sharing with other children and the routines that go along with a formal
educational setting are nothing new. For others, going to school may be their
first experience away from the security of home.
The following are some
tips designed to help ease the transition. Use your child’s questions and
individual temperament as a gauge when deciding which and how many of the
following suggestions to try before the big day. For a particularly anxious
child, too many pre-kindergarten activities may only increase concern.
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Trips to visit
the kindergarten teacher and classroom, library and playground are a great
way to help entering kindergartners feel at home before they start school.
Point out the cubbies, the nearest bathroom, classrooms of older friends
or siblings, and the offices of the school nurse and secretary.
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As you walk or
drive by the school during the summer, talk with your child about the
route from your home. Point out landmarks, familiar houses and businesses.
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If your child
will ride the bus, remind him about where he will be dropped off and
picked up each day. Assure him that you or someone you trust (babysitter,
grandparent, adult friend) will be there to meet him when he arrives home
each day. If you will be picking your child up from school, remind him of
this and set a place to meet that is familiar to you both.
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When choosing
clothes for school, make sure that they are kid-friendly. Jackets should
be easy to put on and take off. Zippers should move easily. Pants and
shorts should be easy to get out of and back into when using the bathroom.
Have your child wear shoes with Velcro closures to school while she is
learning to tie her shoes.
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Start your child
on a schedule. It is easier for children to ease into a new school year
bedtime, wake-up time, and breakfast time if they start to adjust their
schedule before summer ends.
Books to
help prepare your child for kindergarten
Annabelle Swift,
Kindergartner by Amy Schwartz
Kindergarten Kids
by Ellen Senisi
Miss Bindergarten
Gets Ready for Kindergarten
by Joseph Slate
Timothy Goes to
Kindergarten by Rosemary
Wells
Tom Goes to
Kindergarten by Margaret
Wild
A Dragon in My
Backpack by Elvira
Woodruff
>
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For
permission to reprint this article, please contact the
Capital Region BOCES Communications Service at (518)
464-3960.
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