Kids Are Our Future

Kindergarten is the foundation for all future learning and where the love of learning begins. When parents choose to enroll your child in a kindergarten, be sure your child is developmentally appropriate. Parents should not only just assess your child in an academic emphasis but also emotional and social readiness.

Why care about kindergarten readiness?

Many parents worry about their child’s first day in kindergarten, because they are concerned that the child might feel scared or lost, or that learning to get along with a group of new children might be overwhelming. Starting kindergarten, for many children, is their introduction to a school environment, and we all want children have a great start.

Unfortunately, for many children, the transition to kindergarten does not always go smoothly. A recent study sponsored by the National Center for Educational Statistics, indicated that about 20% of kindergarten children lagged behind in the cognitive area of development and 31% lagged behind in the social and emotional area of development. What we also know from research is that children who have an unsuccessful experience in kindergarten are less likely to catch up and do better in later grades.

What is kindergarten readiness?

A child’s kindergarten readiness includes certain pre-academic skills such as being able to recognize letters, words, hold and show interest in a book, and count on one’s fingers. It is also very important to have certain social/emotional skills, such as being able to share and get along with other children in a group, to sit still for a period of time, and to focus on an adult that is speaking to them.
School readiness is related to characteristics of not just of children, but of families, schools and communities. Involved parents who read to their children from birth, schools that respect cultural and individual differences, and communities that support schools and families all play an essential part in school readiness.

How to help your child’s school readiness?

The first few years of life
Science research shows us that the first few years of life are crucial for a child’s brain development, and that the quality of development in those early years sets the stage for the child’s future. The nurturing that the child receives from parents and other significant caregivers and the learning he or she does in those early years shapes the child’s ability to learn, to be associated with others, and thus to be successful in school and in life. Actually, school readiness begins at birth.

Pick a right child-care and preschool for your child
It becomes clear that the quality of the care environments, such as regular child care, care from a nanny, relative or neighbor, plays a huge role in early learning. There is a wealth of research that shows that a high quality child care environment has a positive impact on cognitive skills and on social emotional development that lasts throughout the school years, and children’s life. Therefore, increasing the skills of child care providers, including family, friend and neighbors who care for children, are promoting school readiness.

Getting school ready is a collaboration of many community organizations, school districts, parents, teachers and child care providers. We should increase the number of children making a successful transition to kindergarten. For parents to find a safe, affordable, high quality child care for your child is very important to prepare your child for school. Pick a right day care, a right preschool for your young child consider the providers’ choices all day long as to how often to read to the children, how much to coach social skills, and how to infuse a child with a sense of pride and accomplishment that will forever aid him or her in future learning.

Help your child develop pre-reading skills
Pre-reading skills are the skills children need before they can learn to read. By talking and reading to your child, parents will help your child to develop these essential skills. It is recommended to parents to know these pre-reading skills, so that you can make the best use of your child’s natural inquisitiveness during the pre-school years.

Help your child develop fine motor skills
Young children naturally want to play; it is how they learn about the world. Help your child develop the small motor skills to handle writing. Access your child’s development on fine motor skills, for example, can your child copy simple shapes? Color pictures? Cut with scissors? Kindergarten teachers will expect him to handle most of these tasks easily. In the meantime, you can help your child develop his or her fine motor skills by giving him or her many opportunities to play games, such as finger paint, draw with a marker, use a pencil, pick up small objects with his fingers, build with small blocks, and do puzzles.

A checklist
Many parents are concerned about the emotional readiness of their children for kindergarten. It is as important a factor as your child’s physical, intellectual, and social readiness for starting school. Here is a checklist of some behaviors your child who is emotionally ready for school:

• Does not cry easily, even cries, can recover soon
• Does not require constant support from parents or caregivers
• Separates from parents without being upset
• Is not easily frustrated
• Acts confident in new situations
• Like to try new things
• Has strong and positive sense of self
• Makes decisions
• Understands the idea of acceptable behavior
• Begins to exercise self-control

Young children change very rapidly. The child who is emotionally immature today can easily be handling his or her emotions in just a few months. And remember to on children’s readiness to enter kindergarten on more than emotional readiness, parents also need to consider your child’s age as well as his or her physical, intellectual, and social development.

Young gifted children
If your child already has advanced reading or writing skills, and if a more advanced school is not an option for him or her, it is alright as long as parents continue to challenge your child at home and maintain a friendly working relationship with your child’s school. For parents’ reading, we recommend “Bringing Out the Best”. It has many helpful hints for parents of young gifted children.

To improve your parenting skills refers to Great Parenting Books.

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Children usually learn to write print first and move on to handwriting at third or fourth grade and then they start to write essays. Each child is different, parents should not be rush and push your child too hard. Always remember, happy learners learn fast. Parents’ main aim should be to help your child be a happy learner.

Help Your Child learn to write well

Preparing children for school is one of the most important responsibilities of parents. Children must be ready to learn from the first day of school. If parents want your child to do well in school from beginning, which is a key for your child to build his or her self confidence, just like reading, we think parents should help your child with writing before your child starting school as well.

Writing is the necessary skill we need from first-grade throughout adulthood. Writing helps us sending messages, keeping records, and expressing feelings, it also plays a very important role on provoking our thoughts and to organize them logically and concisely. Writing is more than putting words on paper; it is a final stage in the complex process of communicating that begins with “thinking.”

Due to students and teachers ratio is high in many preschools and schools, your child may need additional help for building his or her writing skills. That’s why we suggest that parents help your child with writing. We believe that parents can make a big difference for your child’s future success. Parents can use helping strategies that are simple and fun to help your child learn to write well and to enjoy doing it! We discuss how as follows.

Tips for parents

In helping your child to learn to write well, remember that your goal is to make writing easier and more enjoyable.

Provide a place
It is very important for a child to have a good place to write, a desk with a smooth, flat surface, an age appropriate chair and good lighting.

Have the materials ready
Provide plenty of paper, lined and unlined and things to write with, including pencils, erasers, pens, and crayons.

Help your child hold the pencil properly
Sit next to your child when you write, not opposite. Developing and maintaining an effective and proper pencil grip is very important for handwriting.

Allow sufficient time
Help your child spend time thinking about a writing exercise. Good writers do a great deal of thinking. Be patient, your child need time to think. Do not transfer any worries onto your child. Be relaxed and have fun!

Respond
Do respond to the ideas your child expresses verbally or in writing. Make it clear that you are interested in the true function of writing which is to convey ideas. This means focusing on “what” the child has written, not “how” it was written. It’s usually wise to ignore minor errors, particularly at the stage when your child is just getting ideas together.

Praise
Praise your child at every opportunity. The more he or she feels successful, the more your child wants to practice; and the better he or she will get.

Ask your child involve in a real writing
Real writing tasks abstract your child’s interest more than artificial ones.　Encourage your child to write to relatives and friends. It is more important for your child to write a one-line note on a greeting card and write a letter to a relative. Your child may enjoy corresponding with a pen pal as well.

Write together
In order to let your child see firsthand that writing is important to adults and truly useful, ask your child to help you with letters, whenever you have a chance.

Suggest note-taking
Encourage your child to take notes on trips and to describe what he or she saw. For example, a description of nature walks, a car trip and a boat ride, could be a good start for form a good habit of note-taking.

Suggest making lists
Most children like to make lists just as they like to count. Making lists is good practice to help your child to become more organized. A list of toys, books, game cards, and furniture in your child’s room, are good examples. Your child must be exited about his or her Christmas wish list as well. Helping your child on “to-do-list” on schoolwork including dates for tests, social events, and other reminders is crucial for your child’s planning skills.

Encourage copying
Copying is also a great way to learn. If your child likes a particular song, suggest learning the words by writing them down replaying the song and trying to write down the words whenever the song is played. Also encourage your child to copy favorite poems or quotations from books and plays.

Brainstorm
Talk with your child as much as possible about his or her impressions and encourage your child to describe people and events to you.

Encourage keeping a journal
Keeping writing a journal is an excellent writing practice. Encourage your child to write about things that happen at home and school, write about personal feelings, pleasures as well as disappointments, things to remember or things your child wants to do.

Use games
There are numerous games and puzzles that help your child to increase vocabulary and help your child more fluent in writing. Building vocabulary builds confidence. Let your child try crossword puzzles, word games, anagrams and cryptograms designed especially for children. In addition, flash cards are great ways, which are easy to make at home.

Using above tips to help your child learn to write and enjoy writing. Remember, do not work when one of you is tired, hungry or bored. Forming a good writing habit as early as possible is the key to help your child to succeed in school and life.

To improve your parenting skills refers to Great Parenting Books.

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