Starting preschool is the next step in their young development. It is going to be where they learn to interact with new people, learn basic skills and this is the step which will prepare them for school. The big question that many parents ask is ‘are they ready?’ Well, yes is the answer, the younger they start, the better chance of success later on in life.
Preparing your child for preschool isn’t that difficult to be honest. As long as you are reading to them, playing and doing activities regularly, then you are doing more than enough to prepare them for pre-school. But if you are worried, then here are a few helpful tips that I have found to work with my children.
Set A Routine
To ensure that you and your child have a smooth transition to preschool both you and your child must get into a routine. Children often don’t do well with change or getting into a routine so it is best to get into this early. If a child follows a routine, it allows them to make their own decisions earlier on in life which is an extremely important part of development. It has also been shown that when a child gets into a routine, it helps them to identify other skills such as sequences and time.
Read Preschool Orientated Books
Reading is an integral part of everyone’s life and the sooner you start introducing books, the better. There are plenty of great preschool orientated books on the market and can also be found in the library. Reading these books will familiarise your child with key figures in preschool like the teachers. It is also a fun way to learn as many books can have colourful pictures, activities and also pop up pages that will entice your child.
Visit The Pre School
Before sending your child to preschool, it’s a good idea to show them where they are going to be spending their time. Showing your cold around the classrooms and allowing them to go play on the playground will help to get them excited for going. Another great way of getting your child excited is by introducing them to the people that they will spend time with like their teacher. It’s important to get familiar with the teacher when it comes to mum and dad leaving them for the first day. It’s best for them to be happy otherwise you have a strong chance of coming back for them early on.
Prepare For The First Day
So your child has been preparing for preschool the past couple of weeks and they are now ready for their first day. It is always a good idea to talk to the teacher beforehand so that you can have all the information and also be prepared for what may face them. For example, if they are going to be doing messy play, then a coverall bib might be worth making the checklist in the bag. A toy for show and tell is always a great idea as it encourages children to speak in front of other people. If you have a little backpack it could be worth having some essentials in there such as a baby washcloth, snacks, fresh clothing and anything else you feel they may need.