Here are some suggestions on helping your child prepare for kindergarten.

• Help your child to develop independence by encouraging your child to do things for themselves.
• Provide experience with playmates to give your child the experience of cooperating and sharing with others.
• Provide experience using languages by reading to your child every day and by talking to your child as much as possible and listening carefully to what your child says.
• Provide good health and nutrition by starting each day with a nutritious breakfast and maintain good eating habits throughout the day.
• Provide a daily schedule or routine to ease the transition into kindergarten and the many other changes a school routine require.
• Practice responsibility by allowing your child to help with household chores.
• Help your child develop fine motor skills by having crayons, pencils and scissors available for your child to use before starting school.
• Help your child develop gross motor skills by playing with your child to develop physical coordination.
• Discuss feelings by helping your child use words to express their feelings.
• Give your child a chance to learn what the world is like through growth opportunities.
• Talk to your child about kindergarten which will reduce some of your child’s anxiety (and yours too).
• The most important thing you can help your child develop in preparation for school and for his or her whole life is good self-esteem. Good self-esteem doesn’t just happen to children—it grows as your child meets small challenges each day and receives positive feedback from you—even when he or she doesn’t succeed.