How to Prepare for Kindergarten
- 1). Kindergarten is all about building the foundation of the education process. The child is provided with the basic tools of learning such as processing, motor skills and minor problem solving skills. Each of these can be molded at home by the parent. Begin stepping back and let the child tackle simple task such as getting their own drinks, cutting their food and figuring out which shoe goes on the proper foot. These help expose the child to the educational process of self reliance and starts them in the right direction for kindergarten.
- 2). Read books, but don't stop there. Ask them simple questions such as what animal was the book about? What was the color of the ball? Doing this will help build basic reading comprehension, a skill they'll need in kindergarten.
- 3). Place 3 to 4 crayons in front of the child along with a piece of paper. Ask the child to draw something using each crayon. Another way to help them identify colors is by saying the color of an everyday item over and over. One such item might be their cup. If they have multiple colored cups, each time they drink from that cup, ask them what color it is before handing it over.
- 4). Offer different stimulation to the touch. Using three buckets, fill one with sand, one with water and one with perhaps small stones. Let the child play in each one, have them touch it with their hands and feet. Let them explore and discover the differences between the three.
- 5). Talk to the child. Children develop communication skills by listening and repeating words from their parents. Avoid using over-simplified sentences or words. Ask questions and encourage them to respond with detail. In return, answer their questions with detail, demonstrating the power of words.
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