Preparing preschoolers for kindergarten requires a little prep.

During the summer, kids have a lot of fun playing and seldom think about school work. This “summer slide” can make it harder to learn in the first few weeks back to school. Even small children (getting ready to start kindergarten) can experience this problem. The summer months are the most important time to get a five-year-old ready for that first day of school. Here are some helpful tips for making kindergarten prep more effective.

Make sure that the child has plenty of books available during the preparation period. These books should be entertaining and educational at the same time. Check out books that are specifically written to prepare five year olds for school. Some books are about a child or character that is starting his or her first day in school. This kind of book helps the child empathize with the character and understand the emotions involved.
If possible, talk to an elementary school teacher about kindergarten activities. In other words, find out exactly what your child will be doing. This way, you can create some of the activities at home, and the child will be better prepared. The more things that a young mind finds familiar, the easier it will adapt to new surroundings.
Reading to a child is important and you can take this a step further. Develop some simple art projects related to books that you have read. Ask the child to draw an illustration for a specific book, and then talk about it together. This helps the young person develop the skill of self expression.
Kids will be writing when they start school so they need plenty of practice. It is important to know how to write one’s name and every child should master this before the first day at school. The most important thing to know is the basics. Children may not properly form letters, and this is fine. As long as their writing is understandable, that is the most important thing. If a child has problems with a certain letter, they should be allowed to practice it over and over, and always use positive reinforcement.
Math is an important skill for school and it should be simple and basic. For instance, set a few items in front of your child and ask him or her to count them. Next, subtract an item or two and have the child count them again. Explain what happens when you add or subtract things from the items in front of you.
Do not spend all of your time indoors. Take the learning process outside sometimes. Children need plenty of fresh air and exercise and math and reading skills can be just as effective, out of doors.

When you make learning fun, you will have an active participant. Make a game out of as many activities as possible and be sure to include plenty of breaks. Play games that include reciting the alphabet and counting numbers. There is no substitute for quality “one on one” time with your young person. The time you spend today can turn into a bright and promising future.

Also keep in mind that Miss Humblebee’s Academy is a kindergarten preparatory program with hundreds of lessons in all subjects. Register now for your free 7 day trial of Miss Humblebee’s Academy.