Kindergarten

Intellectual skills: Provide your child with fun learning games and toys.  Reading to them, pointing out things on the pages and asking questions are great ways to build language and increase interest and creativity.

Motivation to learn: Encourage your child to do their best, follow the class rules and show a genuine interest in what they are doing in school.  Encourage your child to color, draw, dress themselves and wash their hands.  If mom and dad are invested and interested, their kids will want to make their parents proud!

Social skills: Sharing, taking turns, trading toys, waiting turns, eye contact, speaking with an appropriate voice volume and personal space are all skills that will be needed in Kindergarten.  As parents, we can guide our children in these skills when we play games and when they play with peers.  Community activities provide great opportunities for kids to have fun while building social skills.  Craft days at the local craft or hardware store, community sports, the local activity/community center and even a trip to the zoo can all give children experiences to build their social skills.

Behavior-management skills: Talk to your child about safety and appropriate behaviors in various settings; how to act on the playground, how to act when an adult is giving directions and how to act when working in a group all require children to use skills that need to be taught ahead of time.  Provide time daily for your child to actively play and use their imagination.  We can’t expect a child to behave and listen if they don’t have an outlet to play and be a kid.  Simple chores can teach your child the value of taking care of things and putting things away; in school they will be expected to do these tasks on a daily basis so it needs to be a skill that is expected at home.

Readiness to learn: Encourage your child to ask questions and help them find the answers!  Providing healthy food options, a sense of security, keeping a regular sleep routine, encouraging developmental skills, providing a nurturing home environment, and having parents who show excitement for learning and Kindergarten will get your child ready to learn and lessen anxiety about school!

If you need help getting your child ready for Kindergarten, let us know.  We love to help!  Go to https://www.abcpediatrictherapy.com for an ABC location near you.