Get Kindergarten Ready Now
Kindergarten is a huge milestone for you and your child, and the absolute hardest part is knowing whether or not you’ve prepped your preschooler well enough to set them up for success in the school year ahead.
I’ve been there. Before our oldest daughter was enrolled in Kindergarten, she had what seemed like a lifetime of experience in full time day care. Ignorantly, I assumed that while she was enrolled with these facilities they were educating her too. I have never been so wrong in my entire life.
In this blog post, I’m sharing:
- How I decided to educate my children here at home (and why you should too even if they are enrolled in traditional school)
- The importance of preschool in early education, and where you can get a FREE preschool curriculum to guide you in your journey
- The five things you can work on with your child in 45 minutes each day to ensure they’ll be ready for their first day of Kindergarten
So, if you’re ready to take the guesswork out of Kindergarten readiness, and approach the first day of Kindergarten with confidence, then you’re in the right place!
How I Decided to Educate My Children at Home and the Importance of Family Involvement in Education
By the time our oldest daughter made it to Kindergarten she was behind and struggling. Thankfully, COVID hit, school’s went virtual, and it gave me a birds eye view into why my daughter was being left behind. I won’t get into the details of that disaster here but, I vowed to never again put my daughters’ education in the hands of anyone else.
Ultimately, my husband and I made the decision to homeschool our girls. Whether or not you decide to homeschool your children is entirely up to you. Although, I really think you should.
While the opportunity to homeschool has been a huge blessing to our family, it’s not a fit for every family, and I get that. Regardless, having a hand in your child’s education is extremely important to the success of their academic career. As per the Anna E. Casey Foundation:
“Decades of research have made one thing clear: parental involvement in education improves student attendance, social skills and behavior. It also helps children adapt better to school.”
Secondly, from the Harvard Family Research Project (Family Involvement Makes a Difference, Vol. 1, Spring 2006):
“Responsibility for learning might be the family involvement process that is most important for young children’s outcomes.”
In other words, milestones are important long after the early years, especially in education. And, while asking your children about their day, and what they’ve learned is extremely beneficial. It is essential to stay on top of their curriculum, and day to day lessons to shepherd their academic career in the right direction.
An update
After our oldest daughter’s lackluster pre-kinder experience, I knew I had to change my approach as her parent. And, since we’ve made those changes, she has made strides we once thought to be impossible. But, I wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.
When we began our homeschool journey, our youngest daughter was just three years old and eager to learn at the homeschool table right beside her big sister. This was a huge opportunity for me to start her academic career off on the right foot. At first, I turned to the mega workbooks you can find online or in the grocery store.
And, those are a great place to start but, after awhile the worksheets and lessons kind of fell flat. There were no themes, fun activities, crafts or suggested reading included. It felt like I was preparing my daughter to become really good at doing paperwork…
So, I made it my mission to give my daughter a better preschool experience at home. One where worksheets were not the crux of her experience in education. And, after hours of research, I had my “lightbulb” moment. But, more on that later…
The importance of preschool in early education
As the wife of an elementary school teacher, I could tell you stories about the struggles that ensue when a child shows up for kindergarten unprepared. You might think that I am referring to a handful of children but, in truth, it is becoming the norm.
Did you know that only 2% of entering Kindergarteners know how to read?
Yes, there are many skills that children must learn during their preschool years to set them up for success in kindergarten. Some of the prime areas of focus are: math, literacy, motor skills, and imaginative play. In the paragraphs above I mentioned the desire to give my daughter a better preschool experience. And, these skills were front of mind when I conducted my weekly research to plan lessons for the week ahead.
My lightbulb moment
Somewhere around week three of lesson planning, it hit me..there have to be other moms who could benefit from my hours of research. So, it was then that I decided to compile my research into a FREE 30-week curated preschool curriculum to share right here with you.
It truly is the perfect free resource to guide you on your pre-kindergarten journey. Yes, you can build a solid foundation in math and literacy with this preschool curriculum. Oh, and in case you’re unsure if you’re cut out for the job, believe me, you are the best teacher for your child.
5 Things to Focus on So Your Preschooler is Kindergarten Ready
As I mentioned before, my husband has almost 20 years of experience in the field of early elementary education. And, when I posed the question of what preschoolers should be working on to ensure a smooth transition to kindergarten, this was his recommendation:
- Identify and count numbers 1 – 100
- Identify and write the alphabet
- Memorize personal facts: name, birthday, address, home phone number
- Write and read pre primer sight words
- Read alouds at bedtime each night
** Bonus: identify and draw shapes, and learn colors.
If this seems like an overwhelming undertaking, I completely understand. In fact, I was in your shoes just a few short years ago. And, that’s why I started to document my research. I compiled my lesson plans, covering all of the subject areas needed under a fun theme each week, and created a FREE preschool curriculum.
This FREE preschool curriculum is loaded with engaging themes like –
- Dinosaurs in week 10
- Fairy tales in week 17
- Outer space in week 21
- And so much more!
So, if you’re looking for preschool lessons that will prepare your child for kindergarten, we’ve got you covered! Click here to check it out!
