| It's pretty common when you are starting to | | | | know how to work with a schedule, sit at desks, |
| prepare your preschool child for that first day of | | | | listen to speakers, write things down and take |
| kindergarten for her to ask you, probably with | | | | them home and then bring them back again the |
| tears in her eyes, "But Daddy, why do I have to | | | | next day and walk through the structured |
| go?" And while you have your parent answers to | | | | schedule of a normal school day, that is a huge |
| give her and you will obviously refocus her | | | | step forward in preparing your child for school life |
| attention on how fun it will be and how it will be | | | | that will begin in first grade. |
| her next step toward "being a big girl", you might | | | | Yes there is a curriculum in kindergarten and |
| ask yourself that question as well. It's important | | | | simple lessons are taught. Very often grades are |
| that dad and mom have a firm idea of what | | | | not even kept or a child is given a good or |
| kindergarten is all about as well so you can do a | | | | passing grade just for being in class, participating in |
| good job of preparing your little one for this big | | | | the 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 huge | | | | kindergarten teacher will have for this year of life |
| academic leap into the future. When parents pour | | | | with these first year students is heavily slanted |
| so much energy into preparing their children to | | | | toward behavioral and social goals and not as |
| excel academically before heading off to | | | | heavy on academics. |
| kindergarten, they miss the point of this important | | | | The kindergarten teacher is a much different kind |
| year of school. Moreover, by "prepping" the child | | | | of teacher than any others your child will meet in |
| for school as though this first year was going to | | | | his or her academic career. You will find your |
| be their freshman year at MIT, you create even | | | | child's kindergarten teacher to be very interested |
| more stress and anxiety because the child begins | | | | in each child as an individual and in helping your |
| to think they are going to walk into a situation of | | | | child make that transition away from living at |
| high stress. The result is the child goes off to | | | | home every hour of the day and toward using a |
| kindergarten already stressed and far more | | | | significant part of their day at school. Commonly |
| anxious than is justified for this first step out of | | | | kindergarten teachers have special training in child |
| the home. | | | | psychology and are as much counselors and |
| Now this does not mean that preschool is not a | | | | guides as they are teachers of lessons from |
| good idea. Not only does preschool give the child | | | | books. |
| an early love of learning, it is also an excellent | | | | Get to know the teacher of your child's |
| way to help your child begin to acclimate to the | | | | kindergarten class. You will find she is eager to |
| idea of going to school out of the home. And | | | | know all she can about your child to achieve her |
| learning to go somewhere else and become part | | | | goal of preparing each kindergartner for the more |
| of an organized curriculum is a big purpose of | | | | academic years ahead. And if you are in sync |
| kindergarten. So preschool gently starts that | | | | with those goals, you can reinforce the |
| transition both academically and emotionally. | | | | experience your child is having with |
| To a very large extent, the purpose of | | | | encouragement and interest at home. And |
| kindergarten is to help young children begin that | | | | working 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, | | | | |