Preschool is an excellent
way to help children be fully prepared for grade school and helps them develop
important skills that lay the foundation for the rest of their education. But,
just because your toddler is old enough to attend preschool, doesn’t mean they
are ready in other ways.
To succeed in preschool,
your toddler needs to be both emotionally and intellectually ready. There are
lots of things you can do at home to help prepare them for preschool and to
adjust to the change.
Remember, you should help
your child develop new skills and let them challenge themselves, but work at your
child’s pace. Don’t push them when they’re not ready and remember that all
children develop at different rates.
Play “Pretend Preschool” to Help
them Prepare Emotionally
The idea of preschool is
completely foreign to your child. They have no idea what it is, why they should
attend and what is expected of them. Chances are, they’re used to babysitters
and maybe even day care, but making the switch to preschool can be challenging
for some kids.
To help them understand the
concept and get used to the idea, play games where you pretend that they are
going to preschool. The idea is to role-play activities like hanging up their
coat and bag, saying “goodbye” and sitting on the rug. Pretend to get ready for
school and drop them off, and let them take turns playing herself and the role
of the parent or teacher.
Visit The Classroom
When you have chosen a
preschool and enrolled your child in it, arrange to visit the classroom and
even meet their new teacher before school starts. Some schools host a
back-to-school event so that parents and kids can get a look at the school and
familiarise themselves with it.
During the visit, talk to
your child about what will happen. For example, use phrases like “This is where
we’ll wave goodbye” and “You’ll get to play with these toys with your new
friends.” This visit lets your child get a better understanding of what
preschool is and will make them feel more comfortable there.
Involve them in School Shopping
Make preparation for preschool
exciting by involving them in school shopping. Let them help choose some
clothes, shoes, a backpack and other items they’ll need. When you let your child
be involved in the preparation process, they’ll take ownership and start to
look forward to preschool.
When you make this shopping
fun and exciting, it turns into a game of sorts and helps your child understand
that the transition to going to preschool is a good thing and something that is
exciting and that they’ll enjoy.
Create a Daily Routine
Children thrive on
routines. They make kids feel comfortable, at ease and help them know what to
expect. Change can be hard, but by creating a daily routine, your little one
will feel more at ease with it.
The preschool you choose
will most likely use this strategy. For example, the kids will probably start
the day with a book or song, take a nap time at the same time every day,
prepare for snacks the same way each day and so on. Carry this over to your
home to make your child feel even more at ease.
Some easy ways to do this
include having a set bedtime, waking your child up at the same time every
morning, sitting down for breakfast, laying out their outfit the night before
preschool and then having a goodbye routine when you drop them off. For
example, drop them off at the same door every day, give them a hug and tell
them you love them every morning.
These routines make things
so much smoother for preschoolers and you can start implementing them early in
your child’s life and start practicing for preschool by setting times for going
to bed and waking up.
Encourage Small Motor Skill
Development
One of the biggest things
preschoolers learn to develop is small motor skill. They do activities that
help them learn to work with their fingers and hands. You can help your child
prepare for this by starting at home.
Do activities like
colouring, cutting (under supervision and with child-safe scissors), gluing, sorting
and using things like beads and puzzles. Other great ways to help your child
develop these skills include helping them learn to get dressed, put on their
backpack and use utensils.
When your child starts to
develop these skills at home, they’ll be much more prepared for preschool and
find it easier to participate in the activities there. They’ll feel comfortable
with these kinds of things, which decreases frustration and will help them feel
at ease at preschool.
Introduce Colours, Shapes, Numbers
and Letters
Your child will also learn
colours, shapes, numbers and letters at preschool. Give them a head start by
introducing them to those things before they even start at school. Use everyday
objects and include these things in daily conversations at home and as you run
errands.
You can also consider using
things like flashcards and educational toys to teach them about these things.
Help them learn to identify and match colours and shapes and learn the names of
letters and numbers. Some advanced preschoolers can even start to learn the
sounds letters make, in preparation for learning to read in kindergarten.
The transition to going to
preschool can be hard for some children, but when you do some things to help
them prepare, the change will be easier and they’ll be more prepared to do
well.
Start by introducing them
to the idea of preschool through play, let them help prepare for school and
stick to a routine. Then use conversations and educational toys to help them
begin to learn things like colours, shapes, numbers and letters. Before you
know it, your little one will be immersed in preschool and loving every minute
of it!
If you’d like to read more
on parenting ideas from Lindam then please visit the Lindam website –
www.lindam.com
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