The second I caught sight of the school library, I crumbled. Until then, I’d been totally fine touring the elementary school with our soon-to-be kindergartener. But books and libraries were our special thing. Now, she’d be visiting this one (and checking out books) without me. But she was ready for this next phase, and I would eventually be, too. Right?!
To be honest, starting kindergarten is a big transition for everyone. Thankfully, we all get five to six years leading up to it! As the first day of school draws closer for your family, spend time working with your child on these 3 skills to get ready for kindergarten.
1. Making Friends
“What if no one wants to play with me?” my 5-year-old asked with a slight quiver in her voice. We’d been casually talking about starting kindergarten in a few weeks when she expressed her worry. After validating her feelings, I pointed out a few qualities that make her a good friend—her sense of humor, her kindness, and her creativity—and reminded her how easily she made a new bestie just this Sunday in church.
To get ready for kindergarten, we often focus on the ABCs and the 123s. However, a growing body of research shows social skills can be equally important. A recent study by G.W. Ladd, published in Child Development, showed that for kindergarteners, “making new friends in the classroom was associated with gains in school performance.”
How to build your child’s friendship-making skills: Pretend play allows young children to act out potential school scenarios in a comfortable setting. Get out the stuffed animals or action figures and role-play situations your child might encounter when meeting new kids in kindergarten. Think about pretending to be on the playground, in the classroom, or even riding the bus. Take turns initiating the conversation by saying things like, “Hey, wanna swing together?” or “I like your Star Wars backpack. Do you like building Star Wars LEGOs?” Try out all four of these strategies for making friends.
2. Working With Others
According to a 2021 research study published in the Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 70 percent of children experience difficulty transitioning to kindergarten. Working within groups was one of the common challenges for kids. It makes sense. For many 5- or 6-year-olds, kindergarten is the first formal classroom setting with structured group activities. To get ready for kindergarten, children need to begin learning how to share, take turns, cooperate with their peers, and manage conflict.
How to build your child’s collaboration skills: Any activity involving playing or interacting with
someone else gives your child practice in working with others. So, construct a fort. Do a three-legged race. Create a painting with your child. Cook dinner together as a family and assign each person specific tasks. Schedule a scavenger hunt playdate with another mom-child pair in the neighborhood. Or simply make peer playdates a regular occurrence.
3. Being Adaptable
New school, new friends, new teacher, new lunchtime, new wakeup time… New, new, new. Kindergarten brings on massive changes for most children and can lead to stress. Kindergarten teachers understand that. It’s why they typically post a visual schedule in the classroom to give a clear picture of the day’s flow, helping young children who aren’t yet familiar with clocks or the new routine. This predictability makes young learners feel less anxious and allows them to more easily adjust to the day.
How to build your child’s adaptability skills: Take a cue from the classroom by creating a visual schedule for your child to follow at home. Our printable block schedule can help. Also, try putting together puzzles or playing simple board games that require adaptability and critical thinking, such as Guess Who or Hullabaloo. These give your child practice in assessing and adjusting to new information and situations.
What are you doing in your family to help get ready for kindergarten?
