Preparing a child for kindergarten
Kindergarten can be a traumatic transition. Crying, separation anxiety, fears, loneliness. Oh, and it can be rough on the children, too.
All kidding aside, if children are prepared, the transition can be easier.
Evelyn Martinez, executive director of First 5 LA, a child advocacy organization that funds School Readiness programs in Los Angeles County, has some suggestions for things families can do at home to prepare for kindergarten.
She suggests practicing and mastering these skills:
- Holding a pencil or crayon properly
- Running, jumping and skippping
- Following simple instructions
- Waiting his or her turn and knowing how to share
- Spending extended periods away from parents
- Recognizing shapes and sorting items by color, shape and size
- Identifying six parts of his/her body
- Understanding such concepts as up, down, in, out, behind and over
- Counting from one to 10
- Knowing his or her age
-- Mary MacVean
