In order to successfully prepare your child, or children, for kindergarten readiness, here are five practical tips.
The most important steps
Before you can send your child off to earn a great education, you have to take care of important documents, check for important dates, and make sure your child's immunizations are up-to-date. Without taking these crucial steps first, you will not even be able to register your child for kindergarten. Schedule an appointment with your child's pediatrician for a well-care check. They will test eyesight, hearing, and will give you some important documents stating your child is up-to-date with their immunizations. Depending on how much time you have before your child is supposed to start kindergarten, the next most important thing is to find out the enrollment time period for their school.
Having proof for registration
This is one big step that quite a few parents forget about, because of all the stress! Either go to the school's website or visit in-person and ask them for a list of every type of document you need to provide to have your child enrolled. This will typically include social security card, your ID, their shot records, proof of residence, and custody documents if you have gone to court for custody. If you only have secondary custody you will need to talk to the other parent because they are the one who can enroll.
Take some deep breaths
If you have completed all the previous steps and have everything ready to enroll your child, seriously, just take a break for a day or two. Gathering all the necessary documents, making doctor appointments, and constantly worrying if you have everything ready to go for enrollment take a huge toll on your mind and body. This is usually the point when the parent starts worrying about their child's pre-kindergarten education. Don't give in to the pressure, just reward yourself by relaxing for a bit.
Time to focus on pre-kindergarten education
Now you have gathered up all your important documents, written down the enrollment dates, and hopefully allowed yourself to have a break. Now, start thinking about the level of education your child will have going into kindergarten. If you have had your child previously enrolled in pre-kindergarten classes, you don't need to worry too much. Just talk to your child's teacher and see if there are any subjects that need improvement before kindergarten. If your child hasn't taken any classes, it's time to crack down. Search online for a list of knowledge that a typical child should have before going into kindergarten. Focus on the areas where your child needs attention and consider purchasing workbooks and flashcards.
Enter stage: What now?
Depending on how much time you have before the first day of school, you should buckle down on teaching or have a meeting with your child's soon-to-be teacher. Explain your situation and they will help guide you where you need to go from there.
Thankfully, kindergarten classes are pretty relaxed and many schools are already prepared for having some students that will need more education than others. Now, just sit down and relax!