What can parents do over the summer to prepare their child for kindergarten?
I think the biggest thing that parents can do during the summer is to start talking about what kindergarten will be like and asking their child how they are feeling about it. Answering any questions they may have and asking if there is anything they are nervous about will help children begin to identify their feelings and may ease some of their concerns. Learning how to express their feelings and ask for help, if necessary, will be important skills they need in kindergarten.
A school schedule may be a new routine for many children. Toward the end of the summer, I recommend practicing the new schedule. Starting a bedtime routine and going to bed early as well as setting up a morning routine that mimics what it might feel like on school days will help students be able to get the rest they need. We do have quiet time at the beginning of the year, but there are no naps in kindergarten so if your child still takes naps, it might be a good idea to start shortening them or phasing them out.
If parents want to start practicing some of the beginning of the year kindergarten skills, listening to a story and talking about it, following directions, practicing writing their name, drawing pictures, counting, and cutting shapes would all be beneficial.
What is something the public might not know about teaching kindergarten?
A kindergarten teacher wears many hats and everyday brings new and different experiences, challenges, and triumphs. Somedays I get to be a nurse and help put Band-Aids on a scrape or two. I get to be a mediator while helping students problem solve whose turn it is to be the mommy or daddy at the Housekeeping Center. I put on a coach’s hat when I help students learn to step with their opposite foot when throwing a ball and catch it with two hands. Sometimes I feel like a maid as I clean up paint spills, snack crumbs, and forgotten crayon wrappers or paper scraps. I am a computer technician as I constantly trouble shoot how students have locked themselves out of their computers and how I am going to get them back in. I am a dentist as I look into a wide-open mouth to inspect the first wiggly tooth and explain that the pain of a loose tooth is common and won’t last much longer. I am a professional photographer as I rush over to take a picture of the newest block structure or freshly made plate of Playdough cookies. At lunchtime, I get to go back to my waitressing days as I help open milk, grab an extra napkin, or help students eat a balanced meal. Every day I am a cheerleader as I congratulate students for completing a task they have worked on for days or encourage children to keep going and letting them know I believe in them. And of course, I get to be a teacher, as I read a new book, or teach a new math game, or introduce students to a new item in one of the Play-Based Centers or inspire a student to try something new or do more research about something they have shown an interest in.
To say the least, I burn a lot of calories and definitely meet my step goals every day! It truly is the best job in the whole world!
|