Getting Ready for 2011-2012 School Year

Kindergarten:
Getting ready for Kindergarten isn’t just about learning letters, numbers, and shapes; it’s separating from mom or dad without getting upset. A kindergartener must separate from their parent, express their needs and work independently for 20 minutes or more on a project with little supervision from a teacher.  Parents must make school familiar to their child by taking a field trip to kindergarten prior to the new school year.  They must show them the classrooms, let them play on the playground, and meet the teachers in advance.  Practice rules at home by having your child sit and listen to a story, take turns, raise his hand and give information as much as possible.

School Readiness Skills for Kindergarteners:

• Recognize their first name and letters in their name
• Look at books, turning pages, naming objects
• Say how old they are
• Recognize numbers through five, understand that numbers mean amount, count to 10
• Hold crayons like a pencil and cut with scissors
• Know names of many colors, basic shapes, and body parts
• Draw and color beyond scribbling
• Follow simple directions and share
• Dress themselves by zipping, buttoning, and snapping
• Follow the leader by walking, running, hopping, jumping, and marching

First through eighth grade:
Learning to study with proper skills can pay off big for school aged students. Good study habits can be used by students as long as they have organization, method, and focus.

Organization means creating a regular study area and a consistent study time daily. Always have pens, pencils, calculator, books, paper and a computer for each study session. Remember zero distractions, such as a TV must be out of sight. Keep school materials organized in a planner and use a calendar to mark down important exams and project due dates. It is most important to build in breaks when a child tires or is frustrated.

Methods of study can help a student cut large amounts of material down to a reasonable size.

• Write summaries of chapters in a text to demonstrate comprehension, vocabulary, and easy-to-learn material
• A student can create visual pictures to remember information
• Emphasize main ideas through bullet points, highlighting, and outlines
• Good notes in words or pictures helps a student remember main ideas

Concentration is easiest when your child is well rested and eats a healthy snack. Use a timer for children who have difficulty concentrating. Set the timer for whatever is reasonable for a given assignment. Make flash cards for terms or simple questions/answers. Read materials more than once and pay attention to headings, highlighted words, pictures and diagrams. Parents of first and second graders should read aloud to their children, have students read aloud, asks questions, and practice math and spelling in the car. Parents should give children chores and hold them accountable for practical things.

In closing, the most important thing parents can do is to keep the relationship strong and lines of communication open. During the course of the day, don’t miss even the smallest opportunity to praise your child.