Starting preschool can be a fun and exciting time or it can be a terrifying experience for young children. As you prepare for the upcoming school year, here are some tips to help you and your soon-to-be preschooler prepare for school.
Talk About Preschool Before the First Day of School
Talk to your child about preschool – What preschool is like, what they’ll learn, who they’ll meet, etc. Make sure your preschool talk is positive and upbeat as this will make the initial first few days/weeks easier to handle. It can also be helpful to tour the preschool together, giving your preschooler an idea of what to expect the first day of school. Plus, you can possibly chat with the teacher and ask about activities to do at home that will further ease the transition into preschool.
Start a Routine
Slowly begin implementing your school routine a few weeks before preschool starts. This will give your preschooler an idea of how the school day will start, allowing them to slowly adjust to routine. Have them wake up at the same time, eat breakfast, and get ready for the day – same as what they would do during the school year.
Teach Basic Information
Before starting preschool, it can be beneficial for young children to already have a foundation of letters, numbers, shapes and colors. Parents can teach their children the alphabet song, numbers up to 50, the colors of the rainbow, and basic shapes such as circle, square, and triangle to give their children a head start in preschool. This will also help preschool teachers.
In addition to teaching preschoolers their ABC’s and 123’s, also make sure that they know their full name, their address, and their phone number. This is very important information and not something their teacher can teach them.
Read Books
Reading is critical to a child’s ability to learn. Instilling healthy reading habits early on in a child’s education will ensure that they continue to read as they get older, not just for school but for fun as well. Read out loud to your child at night before bed, sliding your finger under each word as your read or having your child turn the pages. This will help with their listening and comprehension skills, and help them recognize words on cereal boxes and signs.
Looking for a Raleigh preschool?
Primary Beginnings preschool in Raleigh chooses to apply and achieve 5-Star rated child care to support our philosophy of providing quality child care for young children. Each center is rated 5-Star, which is the highest rated child care license in North Carolina. Request a tour of one of our Raleigh child care centers near you!
