St. Peter School

Preparing for Kindergarten

 The first day of school is an exciting event.  At St. Peter School, our caring teachers and staff are ready to welcome your child to Kindergarten.  Your child will be challenged and encouraged to do his or her best.

 

There are a number of activities you can do with your child over the summer leading up to Kindergarten to make the transition easier.

·                  Read with your child.  Reading along with basic number skills will help your child have a stronger foundation to build on.

·                  Talk with your child.  Strong language skills are important for success in school

·                  Play with your child and provide opportunities for your child to play with other children of similar age.

·                  Drive or walk to the school and look around the playground.

·                  Have your child practice using lunch containers, thermos caps, zippers, buttons, tie and shoe fasteners.

·                  Develop a good bedtime and morning routine with your child.  This can be difficult over the summer but it will be helpful to try and put regular routines back into place the week before school.  Young children need approximately 10 to 12 hours of sleep each night.  You will want to get your child to bed early enough so that they can get up in the morning, have time to eat a nutritious breakfast and get ready for school without rushing.  Children do no learn well is they are tired or hungry.

·                  Choose clothes and footwear that are easy for your child to put on, take off and fasten by themselves. (ie.  Velcro shoes if they can't tie)

·                  Choose outdoor clothing that is weather appropriate.

·                  Supply an appropriate sized school bag to carry notes, school work, lunch and snacks.  It should be easy to open and close and light to carry.

 

You can help prepare your child by teaching them:

·                  to cope with small changes

·                  to follow directions

·                  to be independent at such things as dressing and using the bathroom on their own.  Also encourage your child to be responsible for such everyday tasks as putting away toys and materials that they have used, and helping out in small ways at home.

 

For safety reasons, your child should know their first and last name, telephone number and address.

 

You can help to develop your child's listening skills by asking them to follow these simple steps:

·                  Stop what you are doing.

·                  Look at the person who is speaking.

·                  Don't talk or move around when the person is speaking.

·                  Think about what the person is saying.