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You are here: Home / Your Child's Education / School Principal says to follow these tips for a successful start to kindergarten
School Principal says to follow these tips for a successful start to kindergarten

June 28, 2019 By Alana 49 Comments

School Principal says to follow these tips for a successful start to kindergarten

It is bittersweet to send your child off to school for the first time. On one hand, you’re excited for this milestone. On the other, it’s heartwrenching to send your baby out into the real world. In order to help both parents and children feel ready for kindergarten, I assembled ten dos and don’ts for kindergarten readiness.

Get a printable cheatsheet at the bottom of this post


This was originally published August 28, 2015.

My “big girl” starts school next week.

In preparation, we toured her school, met some of the teachers, and the principal. Despite being told multiple times we were just there to finalize paperwork, she insisted on packing her backpack, bringing a snack, and was disappointed when we left her school after a half hour.

While my sweet, eager little girl is only attending preschool for the first time, it got me thinking of how grade school isn’t that far off. Her planning, declarations to neighbourhood kids that “I’m going to a new school!” and requests to be at school before it starts has our whole family excited.

The person especially proud?

My recently retired, elementary school principal mom.

“The secretaries used to joke that I could sense a parent coming in for kindergarten registration from a mile away. I’d jump out of my office to greet them.”

Though our little girl is not starting elementary school yet (her preschool is in an elementary school), I wanted to ask my mom, what she recommends parents do to make their child’s transition into kindergarten as smooth and successful as possible. Because my mom has 40 years of experience as a primary school teacher, principal, and university instructor for students in the teaching program, she has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to school readiness and success in kindergarten.

Though these are important ‘dos and don’ts’ for kindergarten readiness, they generally apply to starting preschool, daycare or at a new school as well.

Mother playing with child to promote learning through play before starting kindergarten/ promote kindergarten readiness

Here are 10 dos and don’ts for a successful start to kindergarten

Do: Work with their strengths and interests.

Don’t: Work on skills they don’t want to work on.

As an example, let’s say your child doesn’t want to work on writing his name.  It will come in time in the classroom. Research shows children’s skills are more advanced in the context of play and their vocabulary is richer.

So, if your child does not want to print his name but loves art, find fun ways to work on his fine motor skills by using play dough or crafting. But drop their name for now. It isn’t worth creating a power struggle before school and, in the later years, homework battles have begun. If your child doesn’t have her numbers down but is eager to kick a ball, keep score as your play! Not only will focusing on a skill that isn’t going well frustrate you both, but it also won’t be particularly effective.

In terms of developing their strengths and interests, look for opportunities to say yes to or join in an activity your child loves:

  • Say yes to reading as often as possible. (Having books out helps encourage your child to ask.)
  • Leave out toy money, magnetic letter/ numbers and writing materials, when your child wants to engage with these, join in.
  • Colour and draw often.

Do: Instil a sense of identity in your child.

It is helpful (and empowering) for a child to be able to say who his parents and siblings are. It is also great if they are able to explain who they are and where they’re from. For instance, we recently moved from the east to the Pacific North West. My children love talking about how where we used to live got piles of snow and how it was so cold.

Do: Tour the school with your child and take pictures.

Once home, you can create a social story or simply refer back to them and explain which one is the classroom, point out where certain things are (i.e. the bathroom, the kitchen centre, the tables where they will eat their snack, the cloakroom, etc.).

Do: Be honest with the school staff about any concerns you have about your child’s health, developmental milestones, or learning.

It is natural to want to minimize your child’s struggles so that he can make the best impression. By being upfront, you are setting your child and the school up for success. If your child has any struggles, the school will work to ensure the best possible environment for the child’s individualized needs and will minimize any guesswork. 

Do: Establish a routine before the start of school.

In the last week or so leading up to the first day of school, establish and maintain a regular routine in your household.

Starting kindergarten is a big change. Predictability will help your child feel secure and less anxious leading up to such a big milestone.

Don’t: Linger too long before leaving when school starts.

Don’t: Drop in just to say hi.

In the case of the former, you’re delaying the inevitable and also prolonging their anticipation of you leaving. In terms of popping in, it may seem like a nice idea. However, this could disrupt and remind your child of your absence. Chances are, she will want to leave with you and will be distressed if she can’t.

Do: volunteer when you can and become involved in the school community.

This builds up relationships in the school and generates a greater sense of community for both you and your child.

Do: keep a regular and ongoing dialogue with the school principal and your child’s teacher.

This helps keep everyone on the same page and fosters feelings of connectedness and involvement.

 

Get a free printable on kindergarten readiness by entering your email below!

 

Here are more valuable resources for kindergarten readiness and back to school

11 Insights Your Child’s School Principal Wants You to Know

How to Respond when your Child Hates School

How to Ease Separation Anxiety in Young Children

As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Books to read to your child for kindergarten readiness

The Kissing Hand

I Don’t Want to go to School

Kindergarten, Here I Come!

On the First Day of Kindergarten

On the Night Before Kindergarten

Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten

How can you prepare your child for kindergarten? A principal and former teacher weighs in on the best ways to get your child kindergarten ready. This includes a free printable for download!

Filed Under: Posts, Your Child's Education Tagged With: back to school, early childhood education, kindergarten, learning through play, Parenting, your child's education

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. workingmommagic says

    August 28, 2015 at 8:41 pm

    Such awesome tips here.. I still have an issue sticking around too long! I cant help it! ha!

    Reply
    • Alana says

      August 28, 2015 at 8:47 pm

      Lauren, there’s no chance I’d leave quickly even though I’ve been told I should ?

      Reply
  2. shilarya says

    August 28, 2015 at 10:01 pm

    Thank you for your tips..I too have a kiddo who is about to start preschool

    Reply
    • Alana says

      August 28, 2015 at 10:02 pm

      That’s so exciting! Thanks so much for reading!

      Reply
  3. Char Johnson says

    August 28, 2015 at 11:04 pm

    Don’t let yourself feel anxious or scared- kids pick up on that and can have a hard time. Send them in with confidence that they will have a great time and meet new friends.

    Do encourage them to ask someone to play with them – – kids are so much happier as soon as they feel they a friend in kindergarten and lots of times they are too shy to ask and the other kids pair up all around them. Try for play dates to help them feel connected to someone at school.

    Don’t wait until school to establish reading routines!
    Can’t express this one enough! Read to and with your kids all the time starting from months old!
    In k and the rest of their elementary years, they should read a book every night- try reading them their favorites until they start reading them back to you (memorized, wrong, all is good!) Or read a line and have them read it after you. Teach them small words they can recognize like “no” and pause and let them say predictable words to make them feel empowered and capable. Never let them feel like they are struggling- it’s ok to help them out! Confidence is key.

    I could go on for days – sorry!
    Kindergarten teacher and it’s back to school time!!

    Reply
    • Alana says

      August 28, 2015 at 11:13 pm

      These are AWESOME tips!!!!!!!

      Reply
    • Alana says

      August 28, 2015 at 11:14 pm

      I love every single word of what you wrote, Char!!! ❤️❤️❤️

      Reply
  4. Kirsten says

    August 29, 2015 at 2:14 am

    My girls are staring K in a week and one thing we have been doing is practicing eating lunch from lunch kits. They are so excited to use new lunch boxes plus I have time to talk to them about what is a snack, what is a lunch and how to pace so they eat in time given and not miss out because they are talking

    Reply
    • kimlac says

      August 29, 2015 at 3:46 pm

      That is AWESOME…I am a kindergarten teacher and I wish EVERY parent did that..it is sooooooo helpful

      Reply
      • Alana says

        August 29, 2015 at 4:14 pm

        Thank you so much for reading and for such an encouraging comment ❤️❤️❤️

        Reply
    • Alana says

      August 29, 2015 at 4:15 pm

      This is brilliant Kirsten!!! Thank you so much for sharing!!!

      Reply
  5. goodenufmommy says

    August 29, 2015 at 2:00 am

    This is right on the money! Your mom is awesome! I would also add DO teach them to put on their own shoes and zip their own jackets! The teacher will love you for it! 🙂

    Reply
    • Alana says

      August 29, 2015 at 4:15 pm

      This is incredibly smart! Thank you ❤️

      Reply
  6. twitchetts.com says

    August 29, 2015 at 9:02 pm

    My rule of thumb is not to ask him if he is nervous or scared… Then he wonders if he should be. I just help get him pumped!

    Reply
    • Alana says

      August 31, 2015 at 12:01 am

      That’s so smart, Susie! I think that’s a very contentious approach!

      Reply
  7. triciathegoodmama says

    August 30, 2015 at 6:50 pm

    Oh I used to teach Kindergarten and I agree wholeheartedly with all of your tips. It’s so important to remember that parents and teachers are a team, so I love that last point. I also love the idea of taking pictures of the classroom beforehand to really get your child familiar with the space. Oh, this makes me miss teaching Kindergarten! It’s such a great age!

    Reply
    • Alana says

      August 31, 2015 at 12:01 am

      It’s no surprise you taught kindergarten because it seems kindergarten typically attracts the best of the best ❤️ thank you so much for reading and for your thoughtful comment ❤️❤️

      Reply
      • triciathegoodmama says

        August 31, 2015 at 5:37 pm

        Oh that’s so sweet of you to say! Kindergarten is a lot of fun. I may go back once my kids are in school too.

        Reply
  8. Natasha says

    August 31, 2015 at 2:23 am

    Wow, what an awesome, comprehensive list! I don’t have kindergarteners yet, but I can use many of these for preschool!

    Reply
    • Alana says

      August 31, 2015 at 2:43 am

      Thank you! And thanks to my mom for keeping me in the know 🙂 I’m using them for preschool too ?

      Reply
  9. Shelah says

    August 31, 2015 at 2:51 am

    This is brilliant, Alana. It is great advice for any parent dropping their child off at a new school.

    Reply
  10. dirtandnoise says

    August 31, 2015 at 6:17 pm

    These are so great! We are starting kindergarten TOMORROW!!! Yikes. Still can’t believe it. We’re going to meet the teacher today and drop off stuff. I’m going to make sure and take pictures so we can talk about it when we get home. I also am going to reiterate the full name, mom and dad’s names, etc. Thank you so much to your Mom!

    Reply
    • Alana says

      August 31, 2015 at 6:19 pm

      I’m sooooo excited for you and my stomach did a little flip-flop for you too! Glad you appreciated these tips. My mom is a pro!

      Reply
  11. mommyinsports says

    August 31, 2015 at 2:54 pm

    These are really great tips, especially a schedule and communication with the school. It’s so important to know what’s happening on a day to day basis!

    Reply
    • Alana says

      August 31, 2015 at 2:57 pm

      Totally! Thanks for reading and for your comment ❤️

      Reply
  12. Alyssa from The Sparkly Life says

    August 31, 2015 at 8:41 pm

    my daughter is starting kindergarten next week (sniff, sniff!), so this case at the perfect time. thank you!

    Reply
    • Alana says

      August 31, 2015 at 8:50 pm

      My daughter is starting preschool and I feel the same!!! Thanks for reading and best of luck next week!

      Reply
  13. Joy says

    August 31, 2015 at 8:29 pm

    That’s an interesting tip about not pushing things that your children are not already good at (or interested in). I hadn’t thought about that, because we always figured that we should work on our weakness. Thanks for the tip, appreciate the words!

    Reply
  14. Chanity says

    September 1, 2015 at 12:58 am

    These are great tips Alana! My little guy just started 2nd grade. Time can slow down at any moment… Really! lol!

    Reply
    • Alana says

      September 1, 2015 at 12:59 am

      Oh my goodness. He’s such a big boy! You must be so proud, but man do they ever grow up quickly! Thanks for reading ❤️

      Reply
  15. The Trophy WifeStyle says

    September 1, 2015 at 4:19 pm

    Hehehe my daughter isn’t in kindergarten get, but she’s going to all day preschool threw the school starting next week and omg! I’ve been trying to get her to eat her own lunch and to take off her own jacket etc… Such simple things, but to little kiddos omg, it is ridiculous how something so simple makes no sense to them lol

    Reply
  16. queenmommyjen says

    September 4, 2015 at 8:29 pm

    Oh kindergarten! You are a very wise Mom. You have a pretty great list going here. I am fairly terrible at keeping up with the principal and need to do a better job on that. We smile and wave at drop off, but that probably isn’t cutting it….

    Reply
  17. smilingawayfoodallergies says

    September 5, 2015 at 11:18 pm

    These are awesome! Thank you for sharing ?

    Reply
  18. Kimberly says

    September 8, 2015 at 3:10 pm

    Thank you for the post! My little guy starts kindergarten on Thursday so this post showed up at just the right time!!

    Reply
    • Alana says

      September 8, 2015 at 7:41 pm

      That’s so exciting!!! Thanks so much for reading ❤️

      Reply
  19. John Mahoney says

    May 16, 2017 at 10:51 pm

    We are looking for a good place to enroll our son so he can start his education. Thank you for talking about the importance of touring the school with your kids. I can see that this can help them reduce the stress of a new situation and make sure the school has the proper security and programs to accommodate your child.

    Reply
  20. Ivy Baker says

    June 21, 2017 at 10:09 pm

    This is some really good information about a child’s first day of school. I liked that you pointed out that you shouldn’t linger too long when dropping off your kid. My nephew is about to go into kindergarten and my sister will probably linger too long when she drops him off on the first day.

    Reply
  21. Oscar O'Malley says

    November 14, 2017 at 8:50 am

    I really like that you mentioned that teaching a child things they may be asked by others is very important in improving self-identity at such a young age. My daughter is going to start kindergarten very soon, and I want her to be as prepared as possible. Thanks for the tips-I’ll be sure to work with her on a number of different things before she starts school!

    Reply
  22. Gerty Gift says

    May 30, 2018 at 12:32 pm

    I liked what you said about touring the school with your kid. I have been trying to think about how I can properly prepare my daughter for school, since she’s usually really afraid to go places that she’s never been before. I think that this would help her to feel safe and comfortable as she goes into kindergarten.

    Reply
  23. Stephanie, One Caring Mom says

    July 23, 2018 at 9:20 pm

    I love the idea of touring the school and taking pictures! I think this would be so helpful but honestly I wouldn’t have thought of doing that. Thank you!

    Reply
  24. Taylor Anderson says

    July 31, 2019 at 3:39 pm

    I love how you mentioned that one should tell the school staff of any health or developmental problems, as they will be able to better help your child. A lot of my friends are having children, so these tips could potentially help them out. Thanks for all the great advice on how to start elementary school right!

    Reply
  25. Joan Lopardo says

    September 11, 2019 at 9:39 am

    This is a great blog! I am a retired teacher with four grandchildren, one who started first grade and one who started kindergarten, the other two being in preschool and at home (age 2 1/2). I have shared my experiences with my daughters and offered advice when asked. This is a great resource to share with them. Thank you!

    Reply
  26. Ron Booker says

    September 18, 2019 at 12:20 pm

    I like that you said that maintaining a week routine regarding your child’s first day of school can help your child feel less anxious. My sister told me that her son is going to start school soon and she wants him to feel comfortable. I’m going to share these tips with her so that she can apply them.

    Reply
  27. Tariq says

    September 21, 2019 at 6:39 am

    Thanks for sharing it’s very helpful for me.

    Reply
  28. Franklin White says

    August 24, 2020 at 12:19 pm

    I love the advice you gave to teach your child in the way that they want to learn like for example how you said that you can keep score while playing with a ball to teach them how to count. I think a lot of parents give up when their kids refuse to learn the way they want them to learn. I hope that I can be adjustable and help my kid learn in the way she wants to learn.

    Reply

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Hi! I'm Alana. When I'm not nursing cold, stale coffee, I usually can be found with the baby on my hip, barefoot, and racing after my two older kids. Thanks to a degree in psychology and a free-range childhood backing onto an expansive evergreen forest, positive parenting and play-based learning are my passions. Read more here.

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