Parents, start your minivans — August is Get Ready for Kindergarten Month.  How do you get your child ready for the beginning of their academic career? How do you prepare yourself for this life-changing transition?

Prepping for the first school send off

We’ve all seen those movies and T.V. shows where the child clings to his parent’s leg, weeping and refusing to go inside the kindergarten classroom.  There are a few things you can do now to quell your child’s fear and ease him through those big, scary doors.  Read him books about kindergarten, such as The Night Before Kindergarten or First Day Jitters and gently get him familiar with the concept.  Storytime is a good way to get your child talking about the new school.

Take a walk by the school, play on the playground, and maybe take him inside for a special tour.  Adjust his sleep schedule gradually to the school’s schedule.  And if your child is going to take the bus, take a practice trip on the school bus or point out (and count!) buses you see on the road.

Kindergarten math

Math can be integrated into many daily activities.  You can start prepping your child for kindergarten with kindergarten-appropriate math games like Uno and number Bingo. Practice counting by asking your child to count the buttons on your shirt, the daisies in your lawn,  the candy in a dish.  Use our Math Development Growth Chart and find out where your five-year-old is in math before school begins.

How do parents get ready?

August summer math calendar

Kids are the ones who have to face a whole new routine, but parents need to prepare too! During the school send off, you’ll probably cry more than the little one.  Invest in a giant pair of sunglasses to hide those tears.  And definitely have a video camera handy.  Questions to ask yourself before your child begins kindergarten:

• What forms do you need to fill out?
• Do you have a kindergarten yearly calendar and daily schedule?
• What are the procedures for getting your child to/from school?
• What immunizations are required for school entry?
• How do you register?
• What’s the principal’s name and the name of the kindergarten teachers?
• What is the policy for school snacks and lunches?

A new month means a new calendar, so don’t forget to download our August activity calendar.  Have a wonderful and stress-free Get Ready for Kindergarten Month! Feel free to comment if you’ve been through it before and want other parents to know what it’s like.

Tags: free printables, kindergarten, math activities calendar, Preparing for kindergarten

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