School is about to begin in many school districts across the country. Parents of children about to begin their first “real” public school experience should begin preparing their little darling now for what to expect.
As a retired primary teacher, I can tell you that the first day of school should not be a day for tears, for parents lingering around the classroom, or secretively hiding in the hallway outside and peeking through the classroom window. Often the child is handling the change much better than the parents. But the adults’s behavior can cause them to react in a negative or upset manner.
Parents should realize that part of the reason behind their fear of leaving their child is the fact that they may not have properly prepared the child for school. Many kindergarten teachers will tell you that sometimes it seems as if one day in August or early September, adults open an imaginary closet door and say, “Come on out, honey, it’s time to go to school.” They are aware that they have not taught the child so much as her given first and last name, or her age, or even what street she lives on, and the color of her home. Many little ones entering kindergarten cannot even tell you Mom or Dad’s first name. When asked who lives in the house with them, they cannot tell you the number of siblings who live with them. Parents do not realize or think about the fact that the teacher will not be able to call their child “Pookie” or “Sis.” For safety reasons, the child should know his or her given name, correct age and first and last name of mom and dad.
Although many parents place their children in pre-kindergarten (“pre-k”). There are thousands of children who may attend day care without the benefit of receiving any form of early childhood education. These children generally can ” catch-up” with a little extra help from their parents.
These are some tips to assist in preparing your child for kindergarten, particularly the first week of school.
Put your child on a firm evening schedule. Even before school starts, your child should have a set time to prepare for bed, and for the lights to actually turn off. This means that parents should allow ample time for putting away toys and books, taking a bath (if that is the parent’s wish),changing into sleepwear, having storytime, and actually going to sleep.It is important to realize that little children need sufficient rest so that they may function well the next day.
Teach your child his or her given name, and inform them that whenever someone asks their name, they are to reply with their given name and not their nickname.
Children need to be taught to look at adults in the eye, answer truthfully, answer in a tone of voice that can be easily heard, and to use proper words, not slang. They must reply using “yes,” not “yeah,” and “no,” not “uh-uh.” It is important that the child responds to questions in a clear and loud voice, not yelling or screaming, but far from a whisper.
Parents must teach their child how to properly use the toilet. Many kindergarten classrooms only have one unisex toilet. Your child needs to know when he or she has to go to the bathroom , and when he or she can’t wait . This knowledge will hopefully avoid an accident. It is necessary for the child to avoid wetting on the floor,or on the seat. Paper towels must not be thrown anywhere but in the wastebasket. Children need to know how to use toilet paper, and where it is thrown. Teach your child how to flush the toilet. No one wants to go into the toilet and find another person’s waste material, or see its remnants in the wastebasket.
Teach your child when and how to wash his or her hands . Demonstrate how to properly dry the hands.
This is a good time to review proper good health rules. Remind your child what to do when he or she needs to sneeze or cough. Teach how to adequately cover their mouth. It is not good to pick one’s nose, as that is how germs are spread. If your child has a cold or allergies and needs to clean their nose often, please give them a small packet of tissues .
If you have not taught your child the basic eight colors, now is the time.As you dress the child each day, tell them what they are wearing. For example, “Today,you are wearing your white shirt, blue pants, and blue shoes with red shoestrings.Your socks are white.” This should be done each time your child changes clothes. What will happen is that he or she will know the colors by associating them with what they were wearing.
Teach your child the home and cell phone numbers for each parent. A child need to know the name of the place where his or her parents work.It cannot be stressed enough to parents that the emergency contact form needs to be updated as often as necessary. Additionally ,it is up to the parents to learn the name of their child’s teacher, their grade and the correct room number. Parents contact the school, and don’t know what grade or room their child is in, or even the teacher’s name. While this may seem unlikely, it has happened many times in many schools across this country.
If you are unable to pick up your child on time, by all means contact their school. If someone else is picking up your child, their name must be on the emergency contact form. Many schools will require that individuals coming to pick up a child in the office must show identification.
Parents, be certain not to plaster your child’s name in bold letters across the outside of his or her clothing. In today’s society, it is not a good idea to advertise personal information about your child. Yes, you need to label their jackets, sweaters, rainwear, boots, book bags and other personal items, but place the name on the inside . Book bags should have a contact phone number, as well as the child’s name and grade.
Speaking of book bags, parents ,please clean out the book bag weekly. Be sure to check it for notes and homework each afternoon when the child returns from school . Also, check it immediately before your child leaves for school in the morning so that you can remove any items (toys, etc.) that do not belong at school.
Teach your child to recognize the letters in his or her name. This is a necessary skill. Tell your child what letters are in his name.
Remember that you are not the first parent whose child enters kindergarten, and that yes, this too, shall pass. Before you know it, your child will have breezed through elementary school, middle school and high school. Enjoy each day and send your child off with a kiss, and “I love you. Obey your teacher. Do your best work. Have a great day.”