Do You Know What Is The Purpose Of Kindergarten?

It's pretty common when you are starting toknow how to work with a schedule, sit at desks,
prepare your preschool child for that first day oflisten to speakers, write things down and take
kindergarten for her to ask you, probably withthem home and then bring them back again the
tears in her eyes, "But Daddy, why do I have tonext day and walk through the structured
go?" And while you have your parent answers toschedule of a normal school day, that is a huge
give her and you will obviously refocus herstep forward in preparing your child for school life
attention on how fun it will be and how it will bethat will begin in first grade.
her next step toward "being a big girl", you mightYes there is a curriculum in kindergarten and
ask yourself that question as well. It's importantsimple lessons are taught. Very often grades are
that dad and mom have a firm idea of whatnot even kept or a child is given a good or
kindergarten is all about as well so you can do apassing grade just for being in class, participating in
good job of preparing your little one for this bigthe group activity and trying to work with the
step in life.program. The learning objectives that any
It is a mistake to see kindergarten as a hugekindergarten teacher will have for this year of life
academic leap into the future. When parents pourwith these first year students is heavily slanted
so much energy into preparing their children totoward behavioral and social goals and not as
excel academically before heading off toheavy on academics.
kindergarten, they miss the point of this importantThe kindergarten teacher is a much different kind
year of school. Moreover, by "prepping" the childof teacher than any others your child will meet in
for school as though this first year was going tohis or her academic career. You will find your
be their freshman year at MIT, you create evenchild's kindergarten teacher to be very interested
more stress and anxiety because the child beginsin each child as an individual and in helping your
to think they are going to walk into a situation ofchild make that transition away from living at
high stress. The result is the child goes off tohome every hour of the day and toward using a
kindergarten already stressed and far moresignificant part of their day at school. Commonly
anxious than is justified for this first step out ofkindergarten teachers have special training in child
the home.psychology and are as much counselors and
Now this does not mean that preschool is not aguides as they are teachers of lessons from
good idea. Not only does preschool give the childbooks.
an early love of learning, it is also an excellentGet to know the teacher of your child's
way to help your child begin to acclimate to thekindergarten class. You will find she is eager to
idea of going to school out of the home. Andknow all she can about your child to achieve her
learning to go somewhere else and become partgoal of preparing each kindergartner for the more
of an organized curriculum is a big purpose ofacademic years ahead. And if you are in sync
kindergarten. So preschool gently starts thatwith those goals, you can reinforce the
transition both academically and emotionally.experience your child is having with
To a very large extent, the purpose ofencouragement and interest at home. And
kindergarten is to help young children begin thatworking as a team, you and the teacher will help
transition to a structured environment of school.your child have a wonderful and successful first
If by the end of this important first year,year in school.
kindergarten children come to school happily,