How To Prepare Your Child For Kindergarten
Taking your child to kindergarten can be a huge adjustment for you and your kid. However, kindergarten sets the pace for the child's education and; therefore, you should be prepared. Here are some of the ways of preparing your child for kindergarten.
Reading and Arithmetic
If a child has been to pre-school, reading and math may not be challenging when they get to kindergarten. However, whether or not your child has attended daycare, it's crucial to instil the love of reading and math early. Developing the habit of always reading to your child will help them develop an interest in reading and also introduces them to new words, thus building their grammar.
You should also ensure your child understands numbers. The best way to teach them arithmetic is through fun activities. For example, count with them when walking upstairs, or when you give them sweets. You should also find ways to do some addition and subtraction. This way, your child will find reading and arithmetic easier when they go to kindergarten.
Motor Skills
Some kids don't have strong motor skills because they spend a lot of time with screens. Some even learn their numbers and letters from videos on a computer or television screen. It would help if you trained your child to write and draw. Give them crayons and paper often and let them write letters, draw, and scribble. They will be doing a lot of these writing activities in kindergarten, so the earlier they adjust to handling a pencil and crayons, the better.
It's also essential for your child to engage in unstructured outdoor play. In kindergarten, children are taught many outdoor activities. It would help if you left your child to run and jump and create outside. This way, the child gets to know their limitations and also practices balance and develops strength.
Dealing With Anxiety
A child is likely to experience anxiety during their first day in kindergarten. It would be best if you found ways of achieving normalisation and familiarity. For example, you can tour the school, take pictures and show them to your kid so the place may seem familiar.
Social stories about the school they're going to will help your child learn the same way they have learned everything in their life: through exposure and repetition. Also, ensure your child learns how to listen, share, cooperate with other children and follow directions. Teaching your child social skills will alleviate anxiety and help them cope better in kindergarten.