School Readiness Transitioning to Kindergarten By Amanda Rock twitter linkedin Amanda Rock, mom of three, has spent more than a decade of her professional career writing and editing for parents and children. Learn about our editorial process Amanda Rock Fact checked by Fact checked by Andrea Rice on September 02, 2020 facebook twitter linkedin Andrea Rice is an award-winning journalist and a freelance writer, editor, and fact checker specializing in health and wellness. Learn about our editorial process Andrea Rice Updated on September 17, 2020 Print JGI/Tom Grill/Blend Images/Getty Images Remember a year or two (or even three!) ago when you were trying to find just the right preschool for your child? Now that your child has preschool down pat and is (hopefully) thriving, it's time to turn your attention to the next step in your child's academic journey—kindergarten. Helping your little one prepare for kindergarten isn't like shopping for back-to-school supplies, or checking off items from a to-do list. Rather it is a longer, gradual process that requires time and patience. Sure, it is helpful if your child knows some basics before entering kindergarten—the numbers from one to 10, the alphabet, shapes, colors, etc., but it's likely that a kindergarten teacher will tell you that their most successful students are not necessarily the ones who know a lot. They may do well, but it is the children who are socially ready and are enthusiastic about learning that find success. These are the kids who know how to get along well with others, can wait their turn, and can easily transition from one activity to the next. So how do you help your little one get ready for kindergarten? Just follow these steps. Answer Your Preschooler's Questions You know how your preschooler likes to ask questions. Endless amounts of why and how and how come all day long? Do your best to answer them. Use each query as an opportunity to not only teach your little one something they want to learn about, but to get them excited about learning and finding out facts. You can even do a little questioning of your own, asking your preschooler why they think something is the way it is. Ask something along the lines of, "Why do you think flowers grow so well outside?" and then help them to discover the answer. If your preschooler stumps you with something that you just can't figure out, don't be afraid to say so and then look it up together. Read to Your Child Read, read, read. Reading out loud to your child offers a host of benefits including: Help develop listening skillsExpands vocabularyHelps kids learn the correct pronunciation of wordsExposes kids to situations they might not have encountered yet and teaches them how to handle itGives you some quality bonding timeDemonstrates proper grammar and sentence structureStimulates the imagination and creative musclesEncourages a lifelong love of readingBuilds attention spans Be sure to read to your child every day. And when you read, try enriching the process even further by asking your child what they think about the book or what they would have done in a certain situation. Questions like these help hone critical thinking skills and are great for building reading comprehension. For more fun, try reading using funny voices, or if you are reading a rhyming book, for example, encouraging children to come up with their own silly rhymes or to act out what is going on in the story. Encourage Independence When you see your preschooler struggling with a certain task—pulling up their pants after using the bathroom or trying to open their own juice box—it's easy to swoop in and fix the situation. But by doing the action for your little one, you aren't teaching them anything except to come to you when they don't feel like doing something themself. (And with 20 children in the classroom, it will be very hard for the kindergarten teacher to help everyone after the bathroom!) The next time you see your child struggling with a self-directed task, give it a minute or two. If your child is still having trouble, help them, but don't do it for them. The best thing you can do for your child is to give them the tools they need to do it themself. How to Teach Your Preschooler Important Self Help Skills Play (Well) With Your Child You probably know by now that you are your child's best teacher and greatest influence. Help your child hone their social skills (like taking turns, sharing, and other social niceties) by modeling for your child how to act. For example, if you are playing a game together, you can point out what a good job your child is doing waiting for their turn to go (or gently correcting them if they have trouble with this behavior) When your child is playing with other children, don't necessarily intercede, but keep an ear out on what they are saying to each other and how they interact. Later, point out how they did a good job playing with their friend and how you were proud of a particular behavior. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get diet and wellness tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Massaro DW. Reading Aloud to Children: Benefits and Implications for Acquiring Literacy Before Schooling Begins. Am J Psychol. 2017;130(1):63-72. doi:10.5406/amerjpsyc.130.1.0063 Foundation for Chid Development. Child Development and Early Learning: A Foundation for Professional Knowledge and Competencies.