5 Ways to Support Your Child’s School Readiness

The start of the school year may bring mixed emotions for both children and parents. While this can be an exciting time that many kids look forward to, other kids may dread upon the arrival of the back-to-school season. Unfortunately, some children don’t experience a smooth transition into preschool. Many of them experience challenges, difficulties and separation anxiety. Their routines, physical environment, and activities change. If they’re not adequately prepared for this transition, some may even end up hating going to school. This is why it’s important for parents to help to facilitate their little ones’ readiness for school.

School is a wonderful place where a tremendous amount of learning takes place. You can help your little one fall in love with learning and attending preschool, and support their school readiness, by following these tips!

Play games that enhance self-regulation and concentration skills

One of the things that is critical to a child’s success during their early years is the ability to focus and pay attention. This is something that parents can help foster at home by playing fun games that encourage the development of these skills.

One of the games you can play at home is the classic “Red Light, Green Light”. You can also modify the game and create your own version to add more variety. Try adding more colors, for instance, and tell your child what actions each color cue requires. If red is for stop, green is go, then orange could mean take one step forward and blue means one step backward. This is just one of the many games you can play with your little one as he or she learns how to concentrate and follow instructions. Don’t hesitate to explore even more and make some tweaks to make activities like this more exciting.

Set their expectations

Another strategy that’s important to implement at home is setting your little one’s expectations about life at school. Take time to talk to young children and explain to them the things they can expect when school begins.. Tell them all about the fun things and activities they will experience and the exciting new things they will learn. It’s important to also mention some of the things they will need to learn to do on their own, since parents can’t be with them inside the classroom.

Help your child learn important self-care tasks such as getting dressed, putting on and taking off of their own socks and shoes, unwrapping their lunch, and using the bathroom. Be sure to teach these skills during the weeks before school begins.

Foster social skills

Good quality child care centers focus on developing a child’s academic skills in addition to vital emotional and social growth and development. Because your children will be with other kids at their preschool, it’s important to prepare them for the new environment by fostering their social skills early on.

Consider arranging playdates so your little one can practice social interactions. Bring your child to places where he or she can interact with new children, such as parks. This is an excellent way to reduce shyness and increase young children’s confidence in creating friendships with other kids, which is extremely helpful as soon as they start school.

Create a reading culture

Reading is one of the critical foundations of learning. Reading helps build children’s communication skills and develop their language and literacy skills.

To increase your child’s school readiness, be sure to create a culture of reading at home.  Help your little one develop a lifelong love for reading by making reading together a habit not only before bedtime but every chance you get. Encourage your little one’s participation during the activity, and ask questions as you go through the story together. It’s also a good idea to surround them with books and other interesting reading materials.

Foster emotional skills

Your child’s emotional skills will help determine how well he or she will adjust to the new school environment. As your child’s emotional skills develop, they will help your little one deal with challenging situations, especially ones he or she will face for the first time. Make sure young children are ready by helping them label and understand the reasons behind their emotions. Discuss these feelings,  and make sure they don’t feel they’re being blamed for the negative feelings they feel. Explain that for us to experience various emotions in different situations. It’s also important for children to know and understand how to respond to their emotions appropriately.

The earlier we start preparing our kids for school, the easier the transition will be and the more likely your child is to achieve success both in school and life in general. Follow these tips to help support and increase your child’s school readiness. Send your child to the best-quality child care center. Visit Imagine Nation Learning Center for more information.

 

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How to Ease Back-to-School Stress: 6 Tips for Parents

The idea of going back to school can be exciting for families, especially for kids. The start of a new school year brings many positives, like reuniting with old friends and making new ones, learning new things, and having fun. However, it can also be a source of anxiety and stress for many. This is perfectly normal. Many children may feel anxious about the thought of returning to school because they’ve just had a long summer break and are preparing to start school for the first time. Parents may also find  this season to be one that causes us to lose sleep and have less time for rest. If you find yourself caught in the same dilemma and are dreading the back-to-school stress, don’t worry. With the right attitude, adequate preparation, and some useful tips, back-to-school season doesn’t have to be stressful or difficult for you and your little one. Here’s a list of tips you might find handy:

Help your child feel more comfortable about returning to school

One of the leading causes of anxiety about going back to school is when children don’t know what to expect about the new school year. You can help your child feel more comfortable by discussing what they can expect ahead of time. Talk to your child about what his or her day will look like when school starts. This is especially important for kids who are going to school for the first time. 

As you and your child discuss what he or she can expect at the start of the new school year, talk about the type of routines will accompany a school day. Discuss details regarding what going to bed and waking up each day will look like, what time he or she will have breakfast and get dressed, and so on. It can also help to alleviate anxiety if you’re able to bring your child to see the school before the first day, so he or she can get a better sense of the new environment. Even if your child is returning to the same school building this year, it can still be beneficial to visit in order to help him or her feel reconnected and familiar with the environment.  

Stay positive

Another effective trick for easing back to school stress is to remind young kids about the things that make school fun and exciting. Besides learning new things, you can discuss the fun activities they will do at school this year. Ask children if they’re excited to see their old classmates and meet new ones. Talk about the games and activities they look forward to doing again, and what types of things they’ve missed about school during vacation. 

Establish routines before the school begins

Part of going to school is learning how to stick to a daily schedule and routine. To help minimize “culture-shocked” upon returning to school, it can help to start getting back into the school year routine for a few days before school starts. Have children practice their bedtime routine as they prepare for the first day. If your child needs to be in bed by 9:00pm on a school night,  have your child get into the habit of following a 9:00pm bedtime routine  before the school year begins. Do the same thing with meal times, playtime, and other activities during the day.  

Remind your child that you’re a team

Because back-to-school stress is something that both parents and kids often experience, it’s important for kids to feel that they aren’t alone. Let your child know that you’re also feeling anxious. Additionally, as you acknowledge your child’s  anxiety and worry, you can also try to redirect this into something more positive by letting your child know you’re confident that he or she will be in good hands. Ask your child about the things that may be bringing up feelings of worry, and talk about how you will be working on facing and resolving these things together.

Be present consistently

Whether or not it’s your child’s first time attending school, the transition back to school can be a challenging time for kids. The best thing parents can do to help make the transition easier is to be consistently present for their little ones. Carve out time for your child as soon as he or she gets home if you can, so you can discuss how the day went. Ask children about the things they learned as well as the activities they did during the day. Encourage your child to open up and share what’s on his or her mind,  especially if anything is troubling. 

Don’t forget about yourself

It’s not easy to be a parent, especially when it’s time for your child to attend school. This is why it’s imperative that you don’t forget to take good care of yourself too. Make it a priority to get adequate rest and sleep whenever possible. Prioritize your own mental and physical health and well-being. Being a good parent doesn’t mean putting yourself last. The healthier you are and the better you feel, the easier it will be to balance the demands of work and home.

It’s the start of the school year once again, and back-to-school stress can loom over parents and children alike. Don’t let it get the better of what can be a fun and exciting time by following these helpful pieces of advice!

For more helpful parenting resources, or if you’re looking for a preschool that offers a warm and friendly environment for your little one, please visit Imagine Nation Learning Center. 

 

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