Is your child ready for preschool? If your child has been attending daycare, you may think that he or she will automatically be ready for the preschool environment, however this may not be the case. Here are some ways that you can help prepare your child for preschool. Preschool Idea #1- Encourage your Child to Spend time with Others Before you can expect your child to play with other children, you must first expose him or her to other playmates. This is the best training to introduce your child to concepts such as sharing and taking turns. Many preschoolers are isolated from other children and this can make integration into the preschool more traumatic. By simply arranging for your child to have play dates with friends, or by enrolling him or her in a social gathering, you can ensure that your child will have the exposure needed to feel confident in a social setting. Preschool Idea #2- Acknowledge Your Child's Fears It is very important that if your child tells you that he or she is fearful about starting preschool, that you acknowledge their fears and don't dismiss them. Many times, well-meaning parents shrug off their children's fears and in turn reply with upbeat and positive replies. However, it is crucial to your child's emotional development that they express their fears and insecurities and feel that they are acknowledged. To help them overcome their nervousness, try watching a video together that pertains to starting school, or even read a book together that discusses it. The Franklin series, by Paulette Bourgeois, has a great book called, Franklin goes to School. You can also browse for more titles at your local library, or book store.
Preschool idea #3 Establish a schedule
Following a routine provides opportunities for making decisions and acting responsibly, and having a daily schedule can help ease your child's transition to the structure of a preschool setting. Children learn best when routines and daily schedules are established. Routines provide opportunities to learn about order, sequencing, and concepts of time. Established routines make for smoother transitions and help children to prepare mentally for the day ahead while providing frameworks in which creative learning can occur. If you don't have a consistent schedule at home, your child will likely have difficulty adjusting to school.
Preschool idea #4 Fine tune motor skills
Prior to preschool, help your child develop his fine motor skills during play by creating a fun craft that involves cutting paper, coloring, and gluing. I suggest having your child manipulate modeling clay to form shapes and letters, which will prepare him for future handwriting demands at school. Hide small beads or coins inside putty and have your child locate them; this activity addresses dexterity and improves hand strength, which will in turn improve small hand tasks such as manipulating small fasteners and using scissors. Provide little ones with Play-Doh and scissors as well. Play-Doh provides practice with proper hand placement and gives a child the basic idea of how to open and close the scissors for cutting,
By taking the time to prepare your child, instilling routines or rituals, and planning on more activities for your child that involve other children, you can ensure that your little one will be well prepared when it is time for him or her to start preschool
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