Starting Kindergarten ease into the change
The kindergarten adventure begins
You were changing their diapers and rocking them to sleep about three seconds ago. Now, your little ones are heading to kindergarten.
It’s natural for parents and children to approach this milestone with a bundle of very mixed feelings, but there are some ways to ease into the change.
Jennifer Reed, Director of Elementary and Intermediate Education for Buncombe County Schools, said the first stop for parents’ questions should be their child’s school. Stay informed through the social media and websites of the district and your child’s school and be sure to call and ask if have a question that isn’t answered.
“Most, if not all, of our schools are offering at least one opportunity for kindergartens students to visit the school prior to the first day and to have some opportunities to interact with their peers and interact with adults,” Reed said.
At these events, children can learn what it means to be in a classroom, see the playground and more.
When the big day comes, parents might have more trouble adjusting than their students – and that’s OK. Reed said the school will likely have an opportunity for parents to meet (and cry or rejoice or both) on the first day.
Prepare for the fatigue, at least at first.
“Students will be tired,” Reed said. “The length of the school day tends to be a little longer than students that age are used to being engaged and playing and learning. We do start the year in kindergarten allowing students to have a nap or rest time.”
Remember, that this is part of growing up.
“Kindergarten students progress the most from beginning to end of the school year of any grade level,” Reed said. “They learn how to interact in a variety of settings. They learn how to become readers and writers and how to do math and how to talk about subjects like science and social studies – and it happens very quickly. They become independent learners, independent people. That’s what a school allows them to do. It allows students the freedom to grow and to be confident about what they have to offer the world.”
Here are more ideas from Reed for planning the transition at home.
· Talk about it. Discuss the details, both big and small, of going to school.
· Schedule time for social interactions over the summer.
· Talk about the routines, such as eating in the lunchroom. Some schools offer a video of a day in the life of a kindergarten student. This can help kids know what to expect.
· Well before the first day of school, start practicing routines, such as getting clothes ready for the next day and adhering to a bedtime schedule. Parents might also consider a reward system to help get those routines established as habits.
· Lunchtime can be a big deal. “If your child will pack lunch at home, one day, pack the lunch in the morning and then practice having lunch – opening the lunchbox, opening bags, etc.,” Reed said.
· Practice how your child will wake up. Will parents wake them or will they use an alarm?