Getting Ready For Kindergarten

There are so many things that you can do as a parent to help your child to be successful in kindergarten. These things are fun activities for your child and are more beneficial than you might imagine.

* Read to your child every day. Let your child choose the book or perhaps you choose two or three and let your child choose from those. Take him to the public library each week for story time or even just to read with you and to check out a book.

* Play board games with your child. Not only is this a great way to spend quality time with her, but it can also teach a variety of things. Ex. one to one correspondence, letter and number recognition, counting out loud, colors and shapes, taking turns, patience, good sportsmanship, etc.

* Provide your child with age appropriate puzzles. This can teach a child problem solving skills, spacial relationships, and various other academic skills depending on the puzzle selected.

* Provide your child with a variety of experiences. Spend time outside with your child. Take a walk and collect items found outdoors. Have your child describe them to you. Go to the zoo. Take a camping trip.

* Most importantly, spend time talking with your child. Have "real" conversations with him every day. Do your best to give your child a loving and secure environment. A hug and positive words make a big difference in the life of a child.

* Please remember that kindergarten does not have to begin if you do not think your child is ready. Many times children may need another year to mature so that they may be better able to grasp the academic and social skills that are needed for children to succeed in the early elementary school years. My son, Tim, has a late August birthday. My husband and I made the decision to keep him in preschool an extra year so that he would be older and more mature when he started to kindergarten. He is now a fifth grader and doing a great job. That was the definitely the right decision for our son!

There are many different opinions about academics before kindergarten. Well, I certainly have mine, too. I do not believe that teaching a child to write his name, to count to 10 or to recognize the letters of the alphabet is in any way "stealing his childhood". The truth is that when children are young, they are the most ready and willing to learn. Please don't misunderstand what I mean. I certainly don't believe forcing a child to sit for hours is a good idea! There are so many great teachable moments that come around every day. Children want to have fun and that is when they learn.