AUGUST 2019 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 49
PARENTING TIPS
KIDS 101
READY FOR SCHOOL
By MICHELLE DELL’AQUILA
For every parent, the time will come
for your child to start preparing for
preschool or kindergarten.
Early childhood development and
education are crucial to young minds
in order to help them reach their
development milestones — such as
attending school and socializing with
other children — in preparation for
the advancement of their education.
Here are some things you can do to
help your child.
PLAY
Allowing free play and some scheduled
playtime is the number one
thing you can do to help your child
prepare for school. Play allows time
with other children, which develops
social skills they will need for the rest
of their lives. It allows children to
think and problem solve on their own
time and lets their curious minds
discover how to construct things or
experience textures. Free-play time
is the optimal learning environment
for your child. Here, they can rapidly
increase their cognitive, social, and
physical abilities.
READ
Reading to your child and teaching
them basic letters and sounds
is another key step in preparation
for school. Reading
to your child can help
them begin to understand
the shape and sounds of
letters which will help
them identify pictures
with words.
Another fun idea
is to label items in
your house. Point
to the word when saying the name of
the object to your toddler. This helps
them not only read the name but will
help them retain words and identify
objects. Outings to the zoo, singing
songs, repeating your own child’s
words back to them, and repetition of
activities such as these increase your
child’s developmental progress with
reading and understanding.
PREPARE
Another useful idea for
school preparation is to
actually go to the
preschool. Asking
if your child can
visit and/or play
in a setting with
other children will allow them to
familiarize themselves with the
environment, which can increase
their comfortability and confidence.
Visiting the school in advance can
also help reduce the shock of the
first day for both parents and child.
Many schools allow tours and visits
so parents and children can explore
their new environment.
Taking these steps to prepare your
child can help them to stay on track
with their development and be ready
for school and further learning, even
if the parents aren’t quite ready for
them to grow up.
Michelle Dell’Aquila is a licensed therapist
and director of a parenting
service offering training
and courses on various
topics. She can be reached at
parentingcoachonline.com
Parents should start
early to prep their kids
for preschool.
(Getty Images)
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
/parentingcoachonline.com
