Getting ready for Kindergarten!

https://publicboard.ca/News/ourstories/Pages/Being-Ready-for-the-First-1st-Day-of-School.aspx

Being Ready for the First 1st Day of School

Page Content

Beginning Kindergarten is an exciting time for children, their families and educators.  Getting ready for the first day is important and it can sometimes be overwhelming.  Some of the things that you can do to help ease the transition to Kindergarten are:

 

• Practice the school schedule – Shift family routines to reflect the school schedule prior to school starting so that everyone can adjust; include morning, bedtime and meal time routines.  Ask your child’s educator(s) about meal (nutrition break) times at your child’s school. 
• Start with the regular school routines on the first day - Save time for a photo of the big day!
• Reduce morning stress by preparing as much as possible the night before.  Sometimes a checklist made of pictures and/or words of the routine can help (e.g., get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth, and put lunch in backpack).
• Ensure that your child’s vision, hearing and speech have been checked
• Share in your child’s learning – Talk, read, sing and play together. Encourage them to talk to you about their day at school by asking questions.  For example: What centres did you visit today? What did you do there? I saw that you made a picture. Tell me about how you made it. How did you decide what to draw?
• Be positive - Maintain a positive attitude about the importance your child’s learning.  Adjusting to school is different for everyone.  If you have any concerns, be sure to contact your child’s educator(s).
• Encourage your child to be independent - have them make choices and decisions and practice daily skills (e.g., dressing, using public bathrooms, eating, and cleaning up).
• Become a partner in your child’s education – There are many ways to support your child’s learning. Communicate and collaborate with your child’s educator(s) to build a solid foundation for your child’s education. Consider becoming involved in your child’s school (e.g., attend information meetings and other events for parents and families).

Some fun and informative short videos for starting school can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/gecdsbfdk (e.g., Welcome to Kindergarten, See You in September, and What did you do at School Today?).

ماذا فعلتم في المدرسة اليوم ؟
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw2vFJ2Vyvc

Other helpful information can be found on Greater Essex County District School Board’s Kindergarten Website at: http://internet2.publicboard.ca/kinder/index.html.

 

If your child is not starting school this year but you would like to support their future transition, we invite you to visit one of our Parent and Family Literacy Centres to play, learn, and have fun together.  It is free and no registration is required.  For more information visit: https://publicboard.ca/Parents/PFLC/Pages/default.aspx