How To Get Your Child Ready For Preschool

Hello! Today I have a post about preschool for ya…If you aren’t a mom, maybe you can share this with a friend or family member who is; or if you are, I hope I can give you some ideas!

I am a stay at home mom to two girls, Allie is six and is in first grade, and Ashley is three and stays with me every day. Next year, in the fall, Ashley will be attending preschool twice a week at the same school Allie went to. I chose not to enroll my kids in a preschool that is every day, because I don’t think that they need it.

Attending preschool when she was 4 helped Allie socially, but most of what she learned in preschool she already knew. I wanted her to know what it was like to be in a classroom environment before she went off to kindergarten. I chose a preschool that really had a school look to it, and not like a daycare.

1. Introduce Preschool / Routine

My kids are ALWAYS with me, and the first time I ever left Allie anywhere other than with family was at this preschool. So, it’s to be expected that your kids will be nervous, especially if you are with them every day. The first thing that I would recommend is to just start telling your child that they will be attending preschool when they’re four. I first started talking to my kids about it when they were three, and they were nervous at first, but then after awhile they start looking forward to it. This way, they think it’s what all four year olds do, and they know that preschool isn’t optional.

I would also recommend some type of routine in your daily life with your kids. Get dressed at a certain time, breakfast, etc. Here is an example of what our routine looks like on most days.

SCHEDULE

• 7:15 – Drop off Allie at school
• 7:30 – 8:30 – playtime/read time
• 8:30 – Breakfast/ get dressed/ morning chores
• 9:30 -12:00 – Errands/ go somewhere fun (museum, library, park, etc.)
• 12:00 – Lunch
• 12:30 – 2:00 – playtime/read time
• 2:00 – snacktime
• 2:30- 3:30 – learning time
• 3:30 – get Allie from the school bus
• 3:45- 4:30 – Allie homework / playtime
• 5:00 – dinner

When they are in preschool, they will be on a routine, so it’s important to have some structure to your day now.

2. Read To Them

On the daily schedule, you’ll notice I have “read time” and “learning time”. Reading to my kids is very important, so I make sure to read to them everyday. We have a library card, so we usually go there once a week. They have story time on Wednesdays for an hour. They read books, sing songs, and do a craft. This not only gets you out of the house, but it gives you something free to do, AND it helps them be around other kids their age. After we go to story time, we will check out books and play in the toy room that they have. Sometimes we will even pack a lunch and eat on the patio there. We usually leave the library with 10-12 books, and we always pick some out for Allie too. This way they always have new books to read. They love to bring me a stack of books to read. The library is just such an awesome resource.

3. Learning Tools

We try to do “learning time” every day, for about an hour. I have a bunch of tools that I use, and it’s really fun for Ashley. She feels like a big girl and that we are pretending to play school.

We have posters that we practice. Letters, numbers, and shapes.

And flash cards.

Also. WORKBOOKS. The School Zone brand is my favorite, and FUN for the kids.

These workbooks teach colors, shapes, letters, math, writing, and also critical thinking and skills.

We also practice writing letters and words on handwriting tablets. I will write a word in marker and she will trace over it, or I will have her write the letters.

I let Ashley pick out a pencil case, pencils, and crayons as her school supplies, and we keep everything in her school bin.

We always do learning time at her table in the playroom.

So, those are pretty much my tips to get them ready for preschool! Allie did so well in preschool, and I know Ashley will too.

Let me know if you like these types of posts!

xx amy