Ready, Set… Kindergarten!

 The school year is upon us and many children are back in Preschool or starting Kindergarten. Getting your child ready for Kindergarten should be fun so when they start their first day of school they feel excited and ready.
So in a nutshell your child is ready for Kindergarten when they can follow simple directions, can sit still, uses the restroom, recognizes some letters, works on fine and gross motor skills, can get along with their peers, handles emotions and shows an interest in learning. Remember the more excited your child is about school, the easier of a transition it will be.
Your child should be able to write their name by the time they start Kindergarten, so practice name writing with them and get them familiar with the alphabet. Their writing doesn’t have to be perfect but you want it legible.
Children should be able to identify most letters.  If not all of them when they start Kindergarten. Make it fun and focus on the sounds of each letter. Play with numbers, either with card games or use street sign games. Even counting when you go for a walk, or lining up blocks and counting is fun, it’s simple fun that they can relate to. And most importantly read, read, read to your child!  You can read throughout the day to your children, reading is just not for bedtime!
Helping them learn simple tasks like tying, zipping or buttoning is a great learning skill and will help them in the classroom as well. Help them to memorize their information – full name, phone number and address.  So these may be a little more difficult but keep working with them even through Kindergarten. Make it a game and perhaps put their phone number to a tune so it is easier to learn.
Prepare them for eating lunch out of a lunchbox. Many children do this at Preschool before they begin Kindergarten. Pack the new lunchbox in advance and have a picnic with them explaining they will be eating lunch with their group of classmates and everyone will eat lunch at their designated time. If you want to leave a photo or a note of just smiley faces do that!
Town and Country Farm School are enrolling for Fall classes including TK and Kindergarten. We offer Infant care, Toddlers program, Pre-School and Pre-Kindergarten, as well as, After School Care.
We make learning fun and exciting!  We are located at 22040 Placeritos Boulevard in Newhall.  Please call 661-255-2601 to schedule your appointment.