By Show Me KC Schools
The transition into kindergarten can be a significant change for parents and students, especially following the year’s uniqueness of the past year and a half. With schools starting soon, it’s time to start thinking about ways to prepare your student and yourself for a successful transition.
Tips to Prepare for Kindergarten
- Plan a visit – if your students’ school allows for in-person visits, visiting the classroom or school with your student can help make the transition easier for them. Make this visit exciting, and try to introduce your student to teachers and principals. If your school isn’t doing in-person visits, you can still visit the outside of the building and maybe even go on the playground!
- Stay Informed – ensuring all of your contact information is up-to-date with the school is essential – especially in the uncharted territory we’re still in with COVID-19. Be sure to read everything that comes home with your student and check whatever communication system the teacher puts in place for teacher-to-parent communication frequently.
- Establish a bedtime routine – resume bedtime routines about a month before back to school starts to help ease the kindergarten transition “night time scaries.” If your student has been staying up a little later in the summertime, starting bedtimes about a month before it’s necessary can help ease them into the back-to-school routine.
- Think about meal times – breakfast and lunch will look different to your student. Think about what meal times will be like for your student and help ease them into the new process. If they are going to eat breakfast and lunch at different times than they do now, think about getting them on that schedule. If you are going to pack them a lunch for school, rehearse packing those lunches, so you know how much extra time it takes in the morning. Also, most schools don’t allow peanut butter or peanut products – make sure to review those guidelines before you make breakfast or lunch!
- Nix the naps – if your student still takes a mid-day nap, start phasing those out so they will be ready for a full day of school once it starts.
- Plan out the drop-off and pick-up – make sure your student knows the before and after school plan ahead of time. Discuss where they will go, how they will get there, etc. The more they know ahead of time, the more prepared they will feel.
- Get school supplies – getting new school supplies is always an exciting way to help students feel prepared to go back to school. While there is usually a list that the teacher provides of what you will need, let your student choose colors or styles they like! Check with your school as each schools supply list looks different – this can easily be found on the school’s website. A handful of back-to-school events across the city offer school supplies for students heading back to school!
- Bounce Back to School – July 31, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at Samuel U Rogers Health Center (825 Euclid Ave)
- SummerFest – August 14, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at East High School (1924 Van Brunt Blvd)
With a little bit of advanced preparation, the transition to kindergarten can be a very positive one for students and parents.
