When your little one turns 3 or 4, it’s time to start thinking about preschool!
As a Preschool Director, I am often asked by parents how they can get their little ones ready for preschool.
After seeing hundreds of students enter our hallway, the ones most ready for school usually have parents that supported their child’s development in the following 6 ways…
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Read
This is by far the #1 tip for preparing kids for school! And, quite honestly, for raising kiddos in general! Reading has so many amazing benefits. When you read to your child every day, you are supporting your child’s language development, building your child’s literacy skills, helping them grow in their knowledge of the world around them, and, most important, it is an opportunity for bonding. Have books in your car, on the changing table, in the bathroom, in their bedrooms, and even in the kitchen. Make it a habit to visit the library. Reading is one of the best things you can do for your child!
Play
I tell all of our parents to let their child play! Play is a child’s work! Let them have lots of opportunities to build, create, get messy, and explore. Let them be outside often. And make sure they play on their own at times, too! Kids who play a lot have strong social and emotional skills, they can problem solve, they have better fine and gross motor development, and they are creative!
Encourage Independence
Before starting school, help your child learn how to use the bathroom, wash his hands, open her lunch box, feed himself, and take her shoes on/off. Instead of doing everything for your child, try talking them through the process. School is a busy place and it can be tricky for teachers to find enough time to assist every child with every single one of the above tasks. It makes the day run a lot more smoothly if children are prepared with these basic skills.
Train ’em up!
A big part of raising children is teaching them what is right and wrong. Kiddos who come into preschool already equipped with an understanding of how to listen to adults, make eye contact, follow directions, and be kind to others do really well in the classroom setting. Preschool teachers do not expect their students to listen and obey perfectly. Preschool is a place for learning and growing! However, it does make a difference when little ones have had some training at home!
Practice
Before a child is left at preschool, it is helpful if they have had some opportunities to be without Mommy and Daddy. For example, leaving your child with a babysitter for a few hours or dropping your child off at Sunday School. This helps little ones learn that Mommy and Daddy always come back and they won’t struggle as much with separation anxiety in those first few weeks of school.
Introduce Letters and Numbers
Finally, it is so helpful when parents make learning a natural and fun part of their child’s day! “Do you see the letter S in the word Stop on the stop sign?” “Let’s count how many birds we see sitting on the telephone wire!” “That bus is yellow!” “How many apples should we buy today?” “Oh look at that dog. What letter do you hear at the beginning of the word d-d-dog?”
There are also some amazing resources that you can use to introduce your preschooler to concepts he/she will learn at school. Today I am going to share with you my favorite resources for introducing letters and numbers to preschoolers!
And the best part is that they are Bible-based!
We love the products from the Beginner’s Bible and their brand new Preschool Workbook is no exception. Each page celebrates an aspect of a story or message from God’s Word.
Not only will your child have fun interacting with concepts like letter recognition, handwriting, and problem-solving, but also the pictures and content in the workbook will stir up some great conversation about stories from God’s Word.
And that goes back to the point about “Training them up”! 🙂
Another great resource from The Beginner’s Bible that helps with introducing numbers is this amazing Learn Your Numbers Wipe Away book!
I love that this book is a wipe away book and that kiddos can practice, wipe, and write again.
Would you like to purchase these 2 resources for your preschooler? Check out The Beginner’s Bible Amazon store by clicking HERE.
I hope you found some great advice and tools here that will help your preschooler get ready for the first day!
Now, probably the more pressing question is, will YOU be ready for your preschooler’s first day? That’s a whole ‘nother post! 😉
Joyfully,
Julie
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