ELC Families,
It is often said, “The days are long but the years are short.” No statement has even been more profound than when parents are getting ready to send their children off to preschool or kindergarten. An exciting experience for kids and their parents, but it’s also a time of many changes which for some kids might be the first time they are in a structured school setting.
While my middle daughter is excited for kindergarten and has grown from her ELC preschool experience, there are a lot of things that I’ve been working on with her to make the transition smooth for the both of us come August. I wanted to share some information to support all of our ELC families whether they are returning to us for another year of preschool or making the transition to kindergarten next year.
1. Learning on the Go
My days can be pretty frantic with a full-time work schedule and three kids, so a lot of the learning that we do comes from our everyday experiences. Sometimes in the car, I’ll ask what shapes she sees from the window or when we are eating out, what colors she sees on other people’s clothing.
2. Library Visits
One of her favorite activities is a visit to our local library. She loves to “read” to me by recounting the story based on the pictures. I then read to her and ask her questions throughout to see if she understands the text and the story. This can help plant the seeds of reading and to encourage kids to connect with books and games, which will be a big part of their preschool or kindergarten experience.
3. Setting up Play-dates
This year, I saw a big shift in my daughter talking about friendships and her “best friends” at school. Setting up play-dates can further support a child’s social emotional and problem solving skills as well as support them in making a transition to a new school year and feeling connected to these friends who she will be seeing again in August.
4. Establishing Routines
Routines are very important and helpful for both adults and children. However, it’s not always easy as I’m often doing a hundred things to get everyone out of the house (and somehow have to get myself ready, too). To make things easier for everyone we have a couple routines. Before she goes to bed, I ask her to pick out her outfit for the next day and tell me what she wants for snack. In the morning after breakfast, she then can start to dress herself, brush her teeth and put her own snack bag in her backpack. The routine becomes more predictable helping the morning to be more successful and teaches her some responsibility.
As many of you know, we have started the process of planning and registering for kindergarten. Whether you have a child starting kindergarten next year or not for a couple more years I wanted to share some helpful information regarding the transition from preschool to kindergarten to support you on getting ready for kindergarten. The Office of Early Learning and School Readiness provides resources, information and tools for educators, families and children who are getting ready for kindergarten.
- Check out the updated Kindergarten Webpage to learn more about Kindergarten in Ohio, such as age requirements, education choices, instruction time and length of school year, screening and more.
Kindergarten is an exciting time in a child’s journey for lifelong learning. Please reach out to me or your child’s teacher for further questions or additional resources to prepare for kindergarten.
Thank you for your continued collaboration and support. As always, please contact me with any questions.
Adrienne Carter, Principal
“From tiny seeds, grow mighty trees.”
