Summer best time to prepare kindergartners for school

Parents of kindergartners can use the waning weeks of summer to prepare their little one for the first day of school, Yuma’s First Things First Regional Council says.

Crane School District starts Aug. 1, while Somerton students will head to class on Aug. 2. Gadsden, Wellton, District One and Mohawk Valley pupils will begin Aug. 7.

“The first day of kindergarten is a big step for young kids,” said Nena Garcia, the Yuma Council’s media and community liaison. “Families can help that transition by using the summer before the big day to help kids develop basic skills to prepare.”

Longtime kindergarten teacher Cathy Duff, who now teaches preschool in the Crane School District, noticed that as her kinder students began each school year, many struggled with how to play and share with other children, FTF said in a news release. They also lacked fine motor skills that required them to know how to hold a pencil or use scissors correctly to cut.

Duffy, who taught kindergarten for 23 years, said families can help their young children be ready for kindergarten through play.

“Children learn best through play,” she said. “It increases their social skills, critical thinking skills, problem solving skills and it enhances their self-esteem.”

First Things Firsts’ Yuma Council believes that a parent/ guardian is a child’s best teacher, Garcia said.

She recommended the following everyday activities from FTF

that parents can use to help their child transition into kindergarten: Read with your child at least 20 minutes per day. Try books that repeat words; involve activities like counting, identifying colors, objects or letters; or, are about things your child likes. Ask questions like, “What do you think happens next?”

Talk with your child everywhere — at home, in the car, at the store. Make up stories or songs about your outings.

Writing begins with scribbling. Give your child safe writing tools to play with, like crayons, chalk or markers and blank paper. Ask your child to tell you about their drawings.

Schedule a visit with your child’s doctor and dentist. Health problems make concentrating difficult.

Teach your child how to use the bathroom by themselves, to wash their hands after going to the bathroom and before eating, to blow their nose and sneeze into their elbow.

Before the first day, talk with your child about what to expect during the school day. The more details kids know, the less anxious they will feel.

Rehearse for the big day with test-runs of the new routine, which will include:

• Choosing what to wear the night before.

• Waking up with early to have plenty of time to get ready.

• Eating a healthy breakfast.

• Walking to the bus stop and talking about boarding and where to sit.

• Practicing how to open parts of lunch, whether it’s a carton of milk or a small bag of carrots.

• Remind them teachers or lunch staff can help if needed.

Garcia said even if parents don’t have kindergartners this year, it’s never too early to start helping kids prepare.

“Children who have positive early childhood experiences tend to score higher on school readiness assessments and are more likely to do well in school and graduate,” she said.

School districts also have what many refer to as “Kinder Jumpstart” programs, said Crane Superintendent Laurie Doering, to help students feel comfortable in the classroom (see box for details).