Lead with Joy and Curiosity for Children Transitioning from Pre-K to Kindergarten
As children transition from pre-k to kindergarten this fall, caregivers should approach the milestone with an excited and curious mindset. But they should also emphasize practicing the skills needed for the transition, rather than prioritizing academic abilities.
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Valerie Williams, Trying Together’s kindergarten transition program director, said that a caregiver’s view of the transition shapes the child’s experience.
“We know sometimes caregivers feel nervous, but it’s also an exciting transition, so approaching it with an excited and curious mindset is important,” she said. “Sometimes, caregivers think it’s all on the school district, but we want them to think of themselves as partners.”
Williams emphasized that while there are skills that children ideally would have before this transition, a child will not be denied entry into kindergarten if they have not mastered a specific skill.
“The life skills need to come before academic skills,” she said. “Parents often focus on the academic pieces - counting one to 10 or learning the alphabet - but teachers are prepared to teach all that stuff. The important stuff for children is self-regulation, social skills, managing emotions using words, listening when someone is talking, knowing how to express feelings with words, keeping our hands to ourselves, or being potty trained. Children should be ready to sit at circle time and be able to be quiet for five or 10 minutes to listen. There’s also functional stuff such as being able to follow a routine or schedule, or being ready to make it through the day without a nap.”
Williams said that caregivers can help train children for such things during the summer - for example, shortening the daily nap by 10 minutes and then by another 10 minutes, so by the time they get to school, they don’t need a nap.
The Importance of Routines
Williams added that caregivers should try to get children into a daily routine - for naps, snacks, or other activities - to prepare them for kindergarten.
“Routines are important, not because we want children to be regimented, but because it gives them a sense of psychological, emotional, and physical safety,” she said. “It promotes brain development, so they can be well-regulated.”
Following a routine can help children to know to expect certain things at a certain time of day. If, for example, they feel hungry but know that snack time is coming up, they will learn to regulate themselves. Routines can also help to prevent meltdowns, Williams added.
Register Early
Williams said that school districts frequently hold events prior to the first day of kindergarten to help children and families prepare. This is why it is important for caregivers to register their children for school as early as possible.
“Schools do transition events during the summer,” she said. “You want to make sure you’re getting contacted about open house days during the summer, so the first day the child is walking into the school is not actually the first day of school.”
She noted that it is important for children to feel confident entering the classroom or taking part in such daily routines as transitioning to lunch with a group of other children or taking a bathroom break with a group of peers, rather than having a teacher take the lead.
Leading with Joy and Learning Through Play
Williams said one of the most important things for caregivers to remember is that they should lead by coaching the behavior they want to see. For example, telling a child that you like it when they engage in a particular behavior makes it more likely that they will continue to do so.
“What you model is what your children will do,” she said. “Speak to your children as if they are the most wonderful, brilliant people - for what they believe is what they will become. We should be prepared and lead with joy. Make this transition exciting for them. You can be brave and scared at the same time.”
It is also important to remember, Williams added, that children learn best through play. She said that caregivers and educators should focus less on sitting them at a table and drilling information into them - but rather incorporating play into teaching as much as possible.
“Everything you teach should be playful in nature,” she said. “They learn best in their natural environment.”
Further Resources
Some further resources for caregivers whose children will transition from pre-k to kindergarten this fall include:
Pre-K to Kindergarten: Access to High Quality Pre-K and a Strong Transition to Kindergarten, Trying Together
Last Minute Tips for Starting Kindergarten, Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning
Helping Your Child Make a Successful Start in Kindergarten, Butler County Early Care & Education Council
Kindergarten Life Skills Checklist, Evan-Moor
Selected Children’s Books About Kindergarten, Early Childhood National Centers
Kindergarten Here I Come, Children's Museum of Pittsburgh