Many parents begin preparing their children for school as early as three or four years old. They feel a need to teach their children skills such as recognizing letters and numbers, counting, recognizing names, and even beginning reading. These are very good skills for children to know when they enter kindergarten.
However, there are many skills that a child needs that go unnoticed. Non-academic skills are also important. Each year, I receive children into my kindergarten classroom that have a strong academic background and are no doubt ready to begin school. However, many of these children lack basic kindergarten survival skills.
The skills mentioned below are not required for attending school. However, they can make your child’s first year of school much more pleasant. When the students possess certain skills, the day flows smoothly for both the children and the teachers.
Nonacademic Kindergarten Skills:
· Buttoning, zipping, fastening. Make sure that your child can zip, button, and fasten his or her clothing. Many children wait until the very last minute to use the restroom. Taking extra time to ask someone to unfasten buttons can cause accidents. Also make sure that your child wears reasonable clothing. Some outfits are adorable but just not made for school. Try to avoid overalls and belts.
· Tying shoes. It is surprising how many children come to school and cannot tie their shoes. Tying shoes was once a major skill taught in kindergarten. However now little focus is given to it. Many teachers do not mind tying shoes for children. Yet tying 40 shoes can become overwhelming. Loose shoestrings can also cause accidents on the playground.
· Opening packets and cartons. Teach your child to open packets such as those that ketchup and mustard come in from fast food restaurants. Also buy some cardboard milk cartons and show your child how to open them. Most cafeterias have monitors that help the children open these items. However it can take a while for the monitor to get to all of the children. Your child may feel better if he or she can open the packets without help.
· Public restrooming needs. At many homes, the restroom is a wide-open family experience. Children do not shut doors or think before walking in on other family members. School is different. Talk to your child about restroom privacy. Remind him/her to always close the door and be courtesy of others when they are in the restroom.
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Beginning School