How to Prepare Your Child for Preschool

We have been giving lots of tours around CDS for next school year, and so many parents have been asking what they should be working on with their child to prepare them for preschool. Many parents are purchasing workbooks and flashcards to make sure their child knows their letters, number, shapes, colors, and even trying to teach them to read!! While we are super impressed with how motivated these parents are to “prepare” their child for preschool, we have our own list of things we would rather parents be working on.

~Encourage independence. Simple things like teaching your child to hang their coat on a hook or opening their lunches is SO helpful to us!! Practice at home by packing their lunch once a week in a lunch box and when it’s time to eat, show them how to open everything. It may sound silly but when you have a class of 14 children and two adults, it makes things so much easier when children know these simple skills J.

~Plan play dates! If your child is not normally around other children their age, make time before school starts to introduce them to some new friends and allow them to experience having to share, cooperating with playmates, and even clean up at the end of the play date. It’s amazing how much your child can learn while you sit back and enjoy a cup of coffee with a friend!

~Read to your child!!! This is so important, I should say it again. READ TO YOUR CHILD!!! There are so many benefits to reading to your child daily when they are young, but really, who doesn’t love that 15 minutes of snuggle time with your precious little one each night?!

Well, that’s it. It’s a short list but very important. Have fun and enjoy this time. We are so looking forward to having the opportunity to teach and love your child and working with you to make sure they have everything they need to be successful!

-Ashley