One school year has ended, and I hate to tell you, but it is time to think about next school year!  For those of you with children entering school for the first time, here are some tips on what children should know as they enter kindergarten.....

• Naming & identifying letters, numbers, shapes (squares, circles, triangles)
• Counting from 1 to 10
• Identifying primary colors (red, blue, yellow)
• Recognizing printed name
• Printing first and last name

If you work with your child in any of these areas, remember to make it fun.  Make learning a part of your day and point out interesting words and numbers during your daily routine.

The things listed above have the fancy term of academic readiness.  Equally important to kindergarten success is another fancy term called social readiness.  Children must get along with other children, especially in large groups.

Some children face these issues quite early in child care settings.  But when children have stayed at home or have been in small child care settings, this transition can be more challenging.

You can help your child develop social readiness:

• Have your child play with other same-age children
• Encourage your child to think about how others feel
• Practice sharing and taking turns (simple board games are especially helpful with turn-taking)
• Practice positive ways your child can express feelings, especially strong feelings such as anger, frustration, or excitement

Going to kindergarten is an important milestone.  Successful transitions made early in life pave the way for ones that come later.  Just a little attention and work from a caregiver can help ease a child's adjustment to kindergarten.