The Importance of Parents Preparing Their Children for School

When most people think of kindergarten, they fondly remember the days of eating paste and picking the most colorful crayon with which to color outside the lines. Kindergarten is indeed an important step in the schooling process, because it prepares children for a lifetime of structured learning. To succeed, your child is going to need to develop certain skills.

  1. Fine Motor Skills

    • Before joining the ranks of school-aged students, your child is going to need some basic motor skills. While most neuro-typical five-year olds are walking, talking and balancing fairly well, their fine motor skills may still need some work. For instance, your child may be an expert at holding a fork and spoon, but when you give him a pencil, he's at a loss for writing or drawing. Some simple exercises can help him work his fingers around the small implement and give him better control over it. He's going to want to hold it in his fist, but continue to correct him. Show him how to make a pinching motion with his forefinger and thumb. Experts recommend having your child trace over shapes and write large letters to exert better control over minor muscles.

    Basic Language and Math Skills

    • To best prepare your child for kindergarten, you need to instill basic knowledge of language and math and numbers, according to Ann Barbour, M.Ed., writing for PBS. Practice spelling and writing your child's first name and going over the alphabet and numbers up to 20 so that when he enters school, he'll be at the same level as his peers. Read to him often and make sure he understands you when you speak to ensure a firm grasp of language skills.

    Socialization

    • A large part of kindergarten readiness is socialization. Your child may not be used to sitting with 10 to 20 other students, listening, behaving and following directions. If he's gone to a preschool or daycare, he'll already be better prepared than a child who stayed at home. If he hasn't gone to preschool or daycare, there are steps you can take to ease the transition, says Dr. Kyle Snow, Ph.D., writing for the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Ensure your child has lots of play dates with kids his own age. When he's not playing, start giving him tasks that require him to listen and follow your directions.

    Self-Esteem

    • When entering this new world without you, your child is going to need self-esteem to get him through the rough patches, so start teaching him to be self-reliant. As you practice motor skills and basic language and math skills, praise your child constantly and build him up, says special education teacher and best-selling author Susan Case, writing for the website, "Not So Cute." This will also encourage him to start taking more responsibility, as he'll want the praise that comes along with doing so.

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