It may be hard to believe in the blistering heat of July, but the start of the school year isn’t far off. And for some of the our area’s littlest citizens, it will be the start of their school careers.
That, adults sometimes forget, can be daunting. Tempe Elementary School District kindergarten teacher Wendy Jung offered Wrangler News some tips on how to prepare your new scholar for the start of their school adventure:
Wrangler News: How early should a parent start reading to their child?
Wendy Jung: I think it is never too early to begin reading to your child. Even if it begins as storytelling. When children hear the patterns in our language it helps them learn how to organize and process words. If a child has trouble sitting still for someone to read them a story, then telling them traditional stories allows for wiggling while listening.
WN: What are the most helpful skills that a child can have going into kindergarten?
WJ: Experience using scissors, using an appropriate pencil grip, an understanding about taking turns, some practice using their words to solve social issues with friends. Parents can make role playing into a game to help their child practice using their words for social interactions on the playground.
WN: How much impact does attending preschool have on success in grade school?
WJ: Success in grade school begins with children coming to school when they are the appropriate age of five turning six.
The AZ standards and curriculum we use is geared towards our older students. Kindergarten is more like first grade use to be, our students are reading and writing full sentences when the school year comes to an end.
Sometimes students are sent to school before they turn five. These children are sent for various reasons; eliminating the cost of another year of daycare, parents unaware of the rigorous curriculum or their child is showing academic skills that are misinterpreted as being ready to start school.
Sending a child to school early puts social, emotional and academic pressure on our youngest learners. Attending a preschool or even daycare for one more year can make all the difference in the world. Our children deserve a chance to grow and develop socially and emotionally to success in grade school. Preschools can be very helpful by giving our children time to develop.
Preschools have taken the place of what we use to teach in kindergarten. Children learn social skills, they learn to recognize the letters and sounds of the alphabet, they gain readiness skills with scissors, crayons, and glue. They get to play and learn about themselves, others and the world around them.
Obviously I strongly believe success in grade school starts with being age appropriate before beginning school and having a strong parental awareness of learning needs.
WN: What are some tactics for easing pre-kindergarten jitters?
WJ: Visiting the school with your child prior to the first day of school, meeting the teacher when possible. Go to the library and check out children’s stories about starting school.
Keep a journal of questions the child might have, help your child find the answers to their questions and record them into the journal, refer back to the journal with the child when he/she is feeling anxious.
Begin establishing an earlier bedtime to help prevent exhaustion prior to and during the first days of school.
Purchase a backpack that will be used for school, tape a favorite family picture inside the backpack.
Make sure your child knows who will take and pick them up from school.
Be excited for your child!
For more information on early education, Jung recommends parents check out First Things First at azftf.gov.
