By Peter Zimmermann
StarChild Academy Owner
If you have a young child, your thoughts will soon be turning towards kindergarten. But will your child be ready for school? And what skills do kindergarten teachers expect their new students to have?
The top readiness skills that kindergarten teachers look for today include enthusiasm for learning, solid oral-language skills, the ability to listen, the desire to be independent, the ability to play well with others, strong fine-motor skills, and basic letter and number recognition.
But how can you help your preschooler gear up for kindergarten?
As your child’s first teacher – and his or her caring parent – you’re in a perfect position to prepare your child for kindergarten.
Whether your child is in preschool or not, you can help your child grow if you take the following steps:
First, read to your child daily. Visit your public library for children’s story hour and borrow books to enjoy at home or go online to find some great children’s eBooks. Cuddle up and read bedtime stories together.
Second, build your child’s vocabulary with everyday conversation. Discuss your daily routines, interesting experiences, and feelings. Listen to what your child says, and correct your child gently when necessary. Avoid using “baby talk.”
Third, support your child’s social and emotional development. Classroom learning will require your child to listen and follow directions, and to cooperate with others. Your child will also need to manage his or her emotions – and be sensitive to the feelings of others. Be sure you provide clear guidance regarding these skills, and let your child practice them one-on-one (with a sibling or friend) and in groups (both formal and informal).
Finally, let your child play and create. Whether it’s exploring outdoors, building a bridge out of Legos, or dressing up like a fire fighter, play is critical to developing your child’s imagination, creativity, critical thinking skills, and problem-solving abilities.
If you are now looking for a preschool or Pre-K/VPK program for your child to supplement what you are teaching at home, you might be asking yourself what type of program should I choose?
As you may have heard, there are several different types of preschool and Pre-K/VPK programs available for you to select from including child/play-centered, teacher-directed/academic, and Montessori programs.
As you explore various schools, ask yourself which program would work best for your child, your family, and you. Your child’s personality will play an important part in your decision, because the school you choose should fit with his or her temperament and interests. You should also consider your comfort with each school’s style of instruction, philosophy for nurturing children, and the steps it takes to achieve its goals.
In order to help prepare your child for kindergarten, StarChild Academy schools offer strong teacher-directed, academic preschool and Pre-K/VPK programs. Nationally-recognized curricula, including McGraw-Hill’s Open Court Phonics Reading and Writing program and Houghton-Mifflin’s Saxon Math program, are utilized so that StarChild Academy’s students will excel once they enter kindergarten. Through teaching specialists, students at StarChild Academy learn Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, Russian, Music Theory, and American Sign Language on a daily basis. These special activities are known to help promote brain development in young children.
Remember, you are your child’s first and best teacher, but a strong preschool program can help get him or her to the top of the class in kindergarten. StarChild Academy (License number C09OR0170) is located at 1550 Wekiwa Springs Road in Apopka. You may reach them at 407-880-6060.
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