Preparing my Preschooler for Kindergarten
As parents, it is our responsibility to provide the educational foundation to our children before they attend school. Once they enter the school setting, it is also our responsibility to support their teachers and staff in ensuring that our children are successful. This is not the time to take a hand-off approach, but to become more involved than ever. As a working outside of the home suburban chic mom, my children started attending day care (we’ve always called it school) very early on. While the daycares and preschools have been instrumental in the learning processes, we make it a point to reinforce learning in our home. Me, my husband and our entire village have always been involved with our children’s educational pursuits from practicing ABC’s, 123’s, colors, themes, math , reading, etc.
I admire, adore and respect all of you who are teachers (homeschool or public setting), school administrators, staff or those that work with children, in general. I honestly don’t know how you all do it. I have worked in mental health for a number of years and I get those same sentiments from others, but I truly did not know how I would perform, if I were responsible for the academic development of children… until now. Recently, I have been tested on another level and now I feel like I am almost earning a passing grade when it comes to helping my preschooler prepare for kindergarten, in the fall. THIS fall, but I digress.
I wanted to pass along some tips to help any other moms that may be struggling to equip their child with the basic academic skills they’ll need BEFORE starting kindergarten. Teaching my children their ABC’s was the easy part, but helping her put them all together in the form reading tested skills that I had never tapped into. So check out what helped us!
Hair combing time is learning time.
Making every moment a truly teachable moment. For my children, my daughter especially, I often ask her questions to prompt her critical thinking and comprehension skills. When she asks me a thought provoking question, my response is usually, “What do you think?” Not in a condescending tone but, more inquisitive because I am truly interested in her thoughts. Secondly, I want to ensure that she is capable of thinking and processing for herself and not fully reliant on others’ thoughts and behaviors. As our children enter those kindergarten doors, they will potentially be influenced even more by their peers, whom we have limited control over. Let’s be mindful that we’re not only equipping our children with book smarts, but also common sense to adequately solve problems. While we instill certain morals and values into our children, when confronted with a problem or a dilemma I want them to hear themselves as the guiding voice in making a good decisions as opposed to outside influences.
Build their confidence to awaken their unlimited potential. At the ages of five and two, my children have been drilled with more curriculum that some kids twice their ages because they’ve been in school so long. Even with that foundation, I’ve noticed that my daughter wasn’t fully confident in her abilities. She appeared apprehensive when answering review question almost as if she were fearful of answering wrong.
In observing my daughter, she honestly may rank high in all of the Five Love Languages, but she really thrives off of gifts and words of affirmation. Some teachers may not have the capacity to tap into that with all of children in their care. Most teachers may be good at explaining the curriculum, but as parents, in addition to reinforcing the curriculum, it is our responsibility to give our kids the extra encouragement, self-esteem and confidence that they need to shine, academically or in any arena. Once I increased my kudos, pats on the backs and rewards, I witnessed my daughter’s switch go off to believe that she can master anything.
Our motto: Nothing is too hard for me. I can do ANYTHING that I put my mind to.
Change up everything all of the time. We change up the style, location and method of learning all of the time. Sometimes we sit at the table, the counter or in the playroom to practice learning. Sometimes we practice learning while we’re in the car or while I’m helping them get ready for school. Since time is of the essence with a busy family, I have found it most convenient to reinforce learning on the move. They already spend a full day in the classroom so it seems mundane to have her come home and do the exact same thing. In changing things up, I have also limited technology to take advantage of those teachable moments. I also don’t want my kiddos to rely on technology. I want them to know what an actual book is, how to hold a pencil and actually write on paper, instead of just tapping a screen. There has to be balance in everything including learning.
These are the main tips that I have found in reducing my frustrations with attempting to teach while increasing my daughter’s success rate in learning. I’m confident that she will be well prepared for Kindergarten in August 2020. This makes me confusingly happy and sad, at the same time. I’ll miss my baby girl, but I am thankful for the big girl she is growing into. I’ll end here now that I am officially crying. Just stay encouraged moms.
Quarantine Edition:
This blog post was written in February, prior to COVID19; before quarantining, social distancing and homeschooling became our sudden realities. While I still standby this entire post, I have amended my views on somethings… primarily around technology and learning. Listen, sometimes technology can be your best friend when it comes balancing learning, entertainment and personal time for mom. My kiddos have spent more time on their tablets than ever before because we’re balancing working from home and homeschooling. And I don’t feel bad about it. I let that mom guilt go, Sis and so should you! As long as your kids are engaging in age appropriate activity, it is a win! Keep giving it your best and doing what you’ve got to do because this quarantine life takes some getting used. And remember that learning can happen in a variety of ways and places. Also try making a new recipe, completing science experiments or activities that focus on the arts. WHATEVER you’ve got to do to keep you ALL happy and healthy.
Overall, this quarantine experience has taught me that home schooling is no joke. My hat is off to the parents that choose to homeschool full-time and my hat is off to those of us that have been catapulted into homeschool teachers. We’re are doing our very best and that’s literally all that you can do.