Published August 2021
What does my child need to know before kindergarten?
Parents ask me this question all the time, and they are often most concerned about academics. Reading or practicing math with your child is a fantastic way to help their development (see some resources for this at the end of the article) but there are many other practical skills for happiness at school. Here are some ideas to think about that may help on the way to kindergarten.
If your child isn’t ready to do any of the things on this list – that’s okay! These are goals, and it’s fine to work towards them a little bit every day, in a way that lets them enjoy spending time with you. Every child grows and learns differently, but all children benefit from being patiently loved. With five children, I have experienced the transition to kindergarten from the parent perspective several times, and each was unique! Many thanks to the wonderful teachers I have worked with and those that supported my own children for their kind, knowledgeable contributions. Special thanks to my friends, Mrs. Papillo and Mrs. Wou for their wisdom and experience.
This year may be a little different from other years…
This last two school years have been a little different, and although we have high hopes for this one, it’s good to make sure your child understands about mask-wearing, hand-washing and social distancing.
Does your child recognize their name?
Many children are called by a special nickname at home, and are confused when they go to school and teachers call them by the name on the registration sheet. Make sure your child knows their full first and last name, and let the teacher know if they have a special name they like to be called. Teachers want to do their best to make your child feel comfortable and welcomed, so if you have any concerns about pronunciation, teacher are happy to learn.
Check to see if they know your name too - lots of children are convinced that their parents’ names are ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’!
Will they talk to a teacher if they need something?
This is an important skill to gently practice! Children can become shy or reluctant to talk in unfamiliar situations or when they are stressed. Knowing who, how and when to ask for assistance can help your child to feel safe in asking their teacher. You can practice this with your child by pretending to be the teacher – or the student! If this makes your child nervous, try setting up some stuffies as a class, and getting your child to role-play out how each stuffie might ask for what they need.
Try and practice what it would be like in a classroom. Learning letters and numbers is not nearly as hard as learning patience! Do they know to put up their hand when they want to ask a question? Can they wait in line to ask a question if the teacher is helping another student?
Can they eat lunch on their own?
Eating lunch at home can be different from eating at school. Can they open all the containers you send with them? Teach your child to open their containers, clean up after themselves, and close their containers again. This will be so helpful to them! When they are little, kids will try and open up stiff containers, and spill their lunch on the ground by mistake. If their food gets spilled, ruined or just forgotten – tell them to talk to their teacher or classroom supervisor right away. Schools can contact you to bring a new lunch, or are sometimes able to provide a substitute snack for the day. Practice taking their lunch in and out of their backpack, and zipping it back up again.
Talk with them about the difference between garbage, recycling and compost.
At school, they will be expected to sort anything left over from their lunch into those three categories. Consider how to make your child’s lunch ‘litterless’ – with no wrappers and only re-usable containers. Make sure your child knows how to drink from a reusable water bottle, and practice re-closing it tightly. Many beautiful pieces of fingerpaint art or newsletters have been ruined by a leaky waterbottle!
Discuss not sharing lunch food with their friends.
This can be very hard for children who are used to being with family, where sharing food is part of the experience. Children can’t always identify every food, and may inadvertently share things that can be dangerous to a classmate. Although you will be asked to never send any nut products, dairy, egg and wheat allergies are also common.
Practice independently dressing, including taking on and off shoes and outerwear.
Your child will probably be asked to have two pairs of shoes: an inside and an outside pair. They will need to change their shoes every time they go outside and come back in. If your child can already tie their shoelaces – great! But if they can’t, that is fine too. Get a pair of well-fitting athletic shoes with an easy closure like velcro, and keep working on the shoelace skill at home. Try to avoid slip on shoes – your child will be running outside and inside, so make sure their shoes will stay on their feet during vigorous activity.
Walking field trips are very common – practice taking walks around the neighbourhood, and understanding pedestrian safety.
Schools are often close to beautiful natural settings, and classes will go for walks to experience nearby attractions like parks, pools, and skating rinks. Walks up to 30 minutes are normal – and not always on flat ground. Practice walking with your child, and model the traffic safety rules. This is the perfect time to discover if those shoes you bought for school are comfortable! Even though they will be with teachers and adult supervisors if they go on a field trip, understanding the rules will help keep themselves and their friends safe.
Learning to love the West Coast weather!
Children are expected to go outside and play in anything but the wettest of weather. Practice going outside in the rain, and enjoying the outside in all situations. There is no bad weather, only bad gear! Rain jackets, rain pants and rainboots are recommended. Unless it is absolutely pouring, very cold or very hot, your child will be playing outside. Dress-up clothes are not recommended, and appropriate outerwear is important for their comfort. Your child should also have a complete change of clothes in case they get wet or muddy, or if they have an accident.
Speaking of accidents…
Let’s get really practical – a little bit of embarrassment of frank conversation amongst adults can help prevent your child from struggling later. Can your child toilet themselves? Will they tell an adult in time to get the washroom if they are out on the field? Do they know the basics of wiping? If they make a mess, do they know to clean the toilet seat or inform an adult if the mess is too big? This is another reason to make sure your child can change their own clothes! This is another very important topic for your child to be able to discuss with a trusted adult.
Independent handwashing with soap and water.
Washing hands after going to the bathroom and before eating are important routines that will prevent coughs, colds, and flus from spreading through your child’s class. Proper handwashing technique gets all the surfaces of the hand – back and front – with water and soap, and lasts as long as singing the ABC song, or Happy Birthday twice. It is very, very rare for schools to have warm water in classroom sinks or school bathrooms, so practice washing hands in cold water so they are prepared for the sensation.
Does your child have practice playing with other children their own age?
Kindergarten and the early grades will invest significant time in social-emotional learning – and this will benefit your child and their classmates so much as they grow! Taking turns and sharing are important skills. Using them with other children is very different than practicing them with adults. This last year may have prevented many playdates, so be patient, as everyone may be a little out of practice.
Being able to recognize their own emotions is the foundation for self-regulation, and will help them communicate with others about how they are feeling. If your child struggles with communication when they are upset, this is a good time to practice – maybe even to figure out a non-verbal signal they can use to let others know when they are overwhelmed. Learning to recognize and name their emotions is an important step in developing healthy coping mechanisms.
Many students start kindergarten without ever having interacted with anyone with a disability, physical limitation or a neurodiversity such as autism.
There will be a wide variety of children in their classroom, and knowing that it is okay to be different can be very helpful. Watching videos created for children can be a good way to open topics and allow your child to freely ask any questions, and for you to teach them how to respectfully ask those questions.
Talk to your child about the Indigenous peoples who were here since time immemorial – the First Nations, the Metis, and the Inuit.
There are websites that will allow you to learn about the nations on whose traditional territory your home or school sits, and you can share that knowledge with your child. My home sits on the traditional and unceded territory of the Kwik’wetlem people, who live on the land, and are caretakers of the land and water today.
Learning is a wonderful adventure!
You are your child’s first teacher, and their support on this journey. Although they will be at school for six hours a day, the time they spend with you is so important.
Here are some further resources about getting your little person ready for kindergarten:
BC Ministry of Education
What does my child need to know before kindergarten?
Parents ask me this question all the time, and they are often most concerned about academics. Reading or practicing math with your child is a fantastic way to help their development (see some resources for this at the end of the article) but there are many other practical skills for happiness at school. Here are some ideas to think about that may help on the way to kindergarten.
If your child isn’t ready to do any of the things on this list – that’s okay! These are goals, and it’s fine to work towards them a little bit every day, in a way that lets them enjoy spending time with you. Every child grows and learns differently, but all children benefit from being patiently loved. With five children, I have experienced the transition to kindergarten from the parent perspective several times, and each was unique! Many thanks to the wonderful teachers I have worked with and those that supported my own children for their kind, knowledgeable contributions. Special thanks to my friends, Mrs. Papillo and Mrs. Wou for their wisdom and experience.
This year may be a little different from other years…
This last two school years have been a little different, and although we have high hopes for this one, it’s good to make sure your child understands about mask-wearing, hand-washing and social distancing.
Does your child recognize their name?
Many children are called by a special nickname at home, and are confused when they go to school and teachers call them by the name on the registration sheet. Make sure your child knows their full first and last name, and let the teacher know if they have a special name they like to be called. Teachers want to do their best to make your child feel comfortable and welcomed, so if you have any concerns about pronunciation, teacher are happy to learn.
Check to see if they know your name too - lots of children are convinced that their parents’ names are ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’!
Will they talk to a teacher if they need something?
This is an important skill to gently practice! Children can become shy or reluctant to talk in unfamiliar situations or when they are stressed. Knowing who, how and when to ask for assistance can help your child to feel safe in asking their teacher. You can practice this with your child by pretending to be the teacher – or the student! If this makes your child nervous, try setting up some stuffies as a class, and getting your child to role-play out how each stuffie might ask for what they need.
Try and practice what it would be like in a classroom. Learning letters and numbers is not nearly as hard as learning patience! Do they know to put up their hand when they want to ask a question? Can they wait in line to ask a question if the teacher is helping another student?
Can they eat lunch on their own?
Eating lunch at home can be different from eating at school. Can they open all the containers you send with them? Teach your child to open their containers, clean up after themselves, and close their containers again. This will be so helpful to them! When they are little, kids will try and open up stiff containers, and spill their lunch on the ground by mistake. If their food gets spilled, ruined or just forgotten – tell them to talk to their teacher or classroom supervisor right away. Schools can contact you to bring a new lunch, or are sometimes able to provide a substitute snack for the day. Practice taking their lunch in and out of their backpack, and zipping it back up again.
Talk with them about the difference between garbage, recycling and compost.
At school, they will be expected to sort anything left over from their lunch into those three categories. Consider how to make your child’s lunch ‘litterless’ – with no wrappers and only re-usable containers. Make sure your child knows how to drink from a reusable water bottle, and practice re-closing it tightly. Many beautiful pieces of fingerpaint art or newsletters have been ruined by a leaky waterbottle!
Discuss not sharing lunch food with their friends.
This can be very hard for children who are used to being with family, where sharing food is part of the experience. Children can’t always identify every food, and may inadvertently share things that can be dangerous to a classmate. Although you will be asked to never send any nut products, dairy, egg and wheat allergies are also common.
Practice independently dressing, including taking on and off shoes and outerwear.
Your child will probably be asked to have two pairs of shoes: an inside and an outside pair. They will need to change their shoes every time they go outside and come back in. If your child can already tie their shoelaces – great! But if they can’t, that is fine too. Get a pair of well-fitting athletic shoes with an easy closure like velcro, and keep working on the shoelace skill at home. Try to avoid slip on shoes – your child will be running outside and inside, so make sure their shoes will stay on their feet during vigorous activity.
Walking field trips are very common – practice taking walks around the neighbourhood, and understanding pedestrian safety.
Schools are often close to beautiful natural settings, and classes will go for walks to experience nearby attractions like parks, pools, and skating rinks. Walks up to 30 minutes are normal – and not always on flat ground. Practice walking with your child, and model the traffic safety rules. This is the perfect time to discover if those shoes you bought for school are comfortable! Even though they will be with teachers and adult supervisors if they go on a field trip, understanding the rules will help keep themselves and their friends safe.
Learning to love the West Coast weather!
Children are expected to go outside and play in anything but the wettest of weather. Practice going outside in the rain, and enjoying the outside in all situations. There is no bad weather, only bad gear! Rain jackets, rain pants and rainboots are recommended. Unless it is absolutely pouring, very cold or very hot, your child will be playing outside. Dress-up clothes are not recommended, and appropriate outerwear is important for their comfort. Your child should also have a complete change of clothes in case they get wet or muddy, or if they have an accident.
Speaking of accidents…
Let’s get really practical – a little bit of embarrassment of frank conversation amongst adults can help prevent your child from struggling later. Can your child toilet themselves? Will they tell an adult in time to get the washroom if they are out on the field? Do they know the basics of wiping? If they make a mess, do they know to clean the toilet seat or inform an adult if the mess is too big? This is another reason to make sure your child can change their own clothes! This is another very important topic for your child to be able to discuss with a trusted adult.
Independent handwashing with soap and water.
Washing hands after going to the bathroom and before eating are important routines that will prevent coughs, colds, and flus from spreading through your child’s class. Proper handwashing technique gets all the surfaces of the hand – back and front – with water and soap, and lasts as long as singing the ABC song, or Happy Birthday twice. It is very, very rare for schools to have warm water in classroom sinks or school bathrooms, so practice washing hands in cold water so they are prepared for the sensation.
Does your child have practice playing with other children their own age?
Kindergarten and the early grades will invest significant time in social-emotional learning – and this will benefit your child and their classmates so much as they grow! Taking turns and sharing are important skills. Using them with other children is very different than practicing them with adults. This last year may have prevented many playdates, so be patient, as everyone may be a little out of practice.
Being able to recognize their own emotions is the foundation for self-regulation, and will help them communicate with others about how they are feeling. If your child struggles with communication when they are upset, this is a good time to practice – maybe even to figure out a non-verbal signal they can use to let others know when they are overwhelmed. Learning to recognize and name their emotions is an important step in developing healthy coping mechanisms.
Many students start kindergarten without ever having interacted with anyone with a disability, physical limitation or a neurodiversity such as autism.
There will be a wide variety of children in their classroom, and knowing that it is okay to be different can be very helpful. Watching videos created for children can be a good way to open topics and allow your child to freely ask any questions, and for you to teach them how to respectfully ask those questions.
Talk to your child about the Indigenous peoples who were here since time immemorial – the First Nations, the Metis, and the Inuit.
There are websites that will allow you to learn about the nations on whose traditional territory your home or school sits, and you can share that knowledge with your child. My home sits on the traditional and unceded territory of the Kwik’wetlem people, who live on the land, and are caretakers of the land and water today.
Learning is a wonderful adventure!
You are your child’s first teacher, and their support on this journey. Although they will be at school for six hours a day, the time they spend with you is so important.
Here are some further resources about getting your little person ready for kindergarten:
BC Ministry of Education
- Ready, Set, Learn Pamphlet In English | In Farsi
- When I Go to Kindergarten Memory Book (In English)
- Play Today: A Guide for Families (In English)
- Let’s Play: Activities for Families (In English)