How To Prepare Children For Preschool Entry
Entry into Preschool or Kindergarten is a challenge for any child. A new stage begins and, even if the child has attended daycare, parents are afraid that he will have difficulty adapting to the new school. So, below, we’ll look at some ideas for preparing children for entry into preschool.
All children need a period of adjustment to this new stage of their education, and although it may be difficult at first, they will eventually fully adapt to it sooner or later. However, parents can start activities with them to better prepare them for the new adventure they are starting.
The most important thing is that everything you do with your child is fun and not seen as a boring lesson. Do you want to know what to do to prepare children for entry into preschool? So keep reading!
Activities or ideas to prepare children for entry into preschool
Some of these ideas come from Kindergarten teachers and the US Department of Education’s “Learning Partners” program, and can help you prepare your child for preschool entry.
Through these activities, the child is prepared to know how to listen, follow instructions and work as a team, three of the most important goals in early childhood education programs. Next, we’ll look at each of them.
Reading a story to your child every day as part of a daily routine
In many preschool classes, the teacher sets aside a short time, 10 to 15 minutes, to read a story or book to the children (this could be a story about the beginning of school). If this routine is also encouraged at home, your child will find it much easier to follow the class and stay still while listening carefully to what is being told.
When we read aloud, we encourage the little ones to listen, as in preschool they have not yet learned to read. The more familiar they are with reading, the easier it will be for them to read in the future.
To develop reading comprehension at an early age, when reading a story to your child, you can ask questions about what was read to see whether or not he paid attention to the story. When kids really like a story, they always ask them to read it, and there may come a time when they even memorize it. In that case, let the child tell the story for you.
Practice listening and following instructions
During preschool, children sit at the table while teachers ask them to be quiet and listen. One activity you can do with your child is to ask him to sit quietly and listen to everything around him. Then ask him to describe everything he heard, for example: his mother cooking, the birds singing, the cartoons on television, the wind moving the curtains, etc.
It is important to teach listening, but also to follow instructions that require more than one step, as this is one of the things that should be done in the classroom. To do this, you can give directions for performing a task, for example, collecting toys from the living room and taking them to the bedroom, going to the bathroom to wash your hands, or helping to set the table.
You can also play detective games when you go for a walk. Each must take their turn to ask the other what he is seeing. On each turn, each player will give clues to what they are seeing and the other person must ask questions to find out what object or action it is.
Make a farewell ritual for entry to preschool
If your child has never been to day care and this is the first time he has had to leave you, perhaps he may be afraid you won’t come back or be nervous that you won’t know how to pick him up. Therefore, if you establish a farewell ritual, the separation will be easier for him.
So when you drop your child off at the preschool door, give them a hug and a kiss, clap hands, or sing a song, whatever you can imagine. That way, he’ll associate that he’ll be at school for a while, but that mom or dad will soon be back to pick him up.
do social activities
When children enter Kindergarten, they need to know how to behave and get along with other children. Perhaps your child has already gone to day care or has cousins that they play with, which will make interacting with other children easier for them. However, if your child has not attended day care or had contact with other children, it is important that you prepare activities in which he interacts with other people.
A good option is to go to a park or take him to dance lessons, swimming or any activity that he likes and that helps him to relate, because, in preschool, it is important to know how to share, respect each turn. one, collaborating with the other kids.
Talking with your child about what to expect when preschool starts
It is normal for children to be nervous when starting preschool, as it is a new and unknown phase for them. It’s important that you don’t say phrases that create false expectations, either for good or for bad.
Just say what it’s about and answer questions and concerns if the child asks. Explain what kind of activities she will do, what classmates she will have, where her school is, etc.
Ultimately, as you can see, these are just a few ideas or activities you can do to prepare children for preschool entry. That way, you’ll get your child to be more prepared, less nervous and the entrance to be as less distressing as possible.
Although parents are heartbroken when they separate from their children so that they can start a new stage, it will certainly be a great new stage. Let’s go with everything!
