If your child was born in 2021, it’s time to get ready for Kindergarten! You and your child are about to embark on a new adventure of learning and growing together. At the EarlyON Child and Family Centre, parents ask us all the time: ‘How can my child and I prepare for Kindergarten?’ Let’s count down together!
5 – REGISTER. If you haven’t already, register your child for school! The first step is determining which schools your child is eligible to attend based on your address. You can use this site to help you find the Public and the Catholic school in your catchment: https://scstc.ca/Eligibility. This site will also let you know if your child is eligible for bussing. Once you have decided on the school, head to their website to register!
Registering as soon as possible helps schools plan and ensure that they have all the resources they need to help every child be successful. While you are on the websites, spend some time looking through some of their welcome to school resources. All school boards have tons of fun and interactive information on what to expect in Kindergarten.
4 – LOOK FOR SCHOOL INFORMATION. Once you are registered, your child’s school will share information with you about Welcome to Kindergarten events they hold. These events are a great opportunity to explore the school, meet some of the teaching staff, gather information and resources, and make some new friends! Typically, these events have a short presentation for families, and lots of fun activities for your child and
their new classmates to explore together. This is also an excellent opportunity to ask the school specific questions you might have about things like transportation, scheduling, nutrition, and curriculum.
3 – PLAN AND PRACTICE. It’s time to start thinking about the supplies your child might benefit from having for school. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, or purchase a pile of ‘school supplies’, but it can be helpful to think about a few items ahead of time. Your child will need a backpack and lunch bag, indoor shoes (sneakers that are easy to take on and off. Velcro is a great thing!), a water bottle, and a change of clothes – right down to fresh socks and underwear. A few months before school is a good time to start practicing. You and your child can pack their lunch in their new bag and eat out of it picnic style! Practice opening containers and packages and identifying lunch and snack items. You can also practice walking with a backpack, especially if your child will be walking to school or a bus stop. During the summer is also a great time to practice independently dressing, hand washing, putting on and tying shoes and asking for help from teachers and trusted adults. At EarlyON, we are often asked if children NEED to be toileting independently to go to school. The answer is NO. Some children just aren’t quite ready to be independent in the washroom and will require support. While teachers and staff are not able to assist with things like wiping (another thing to practice at home!), staff can support a child who requires diaper changes. If your child will need this type of support, it’s important to talk to your school ahead of time about this so they are prepared.
2. VISIT YOUR LOCAL EARLYON CHILD AND FAMILY CENTRE. EarlyON’s across the County host Getting Ready For K sessions for children and families preparing for school. These sessions allow for you and your child to practice being separate from each other; your child spends time with other children in a classroom setting, and you participate in a
parent session where you can learn about topics like regulation and preparing for school. If these sessions are not the right option for you and your child, don’t worry! Visiting an EarlyON Child and Family Centre at any time is a great opportunity to practice school readiness skills, build social competence, engage in structured routines, and
learn through play! Parents and care providers have a great opportunity to meet other families, learn about developmental milestones, gather resources and play! EarlyON Child and Family Centre Program Facilitators are experts in child development and can also provide information and resources if you have questions or concerns about the transition to school.
1 – THE FIRST DAY. You’ve practiced. You’ve planned. You’ve prepared. Now it’s time to give your little learner a big hug and send them off to school for their very first day. Take a deep breath and take some pictures! Remember that it’s okay for you AND your child to both have some big emotions on the first day of school. This is a big change, and it can be a scary transition. The best thing you can do for your child is to smile and reassure them that they will have fun at school and that you will be there when they are all done. It’s also okay for you to take a moment to acknowledge your own feelings about this big change once you’ve sent them on their way. At the end of the day, ask
your child what they loved most about their day and what they hope is different about tomorrow. You might be surprised at what they have to tell you!
Kindergarten is the beginning of a journey that you and your child will get to experience together. If you have questions about your child’s learning, check in with their teacher or principal. If you have general questions about development or want an opportunity to play together, visit an EarlyON Child and Family Centre program. Programming is available on some evenings and Saturdays for children up to their 7th birthday, and their parent or care provider!
