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Kindergarten Countdown – Transition Tips

It’s that time of year again – back to school! Here is a post from a few years ago when Natalie was heading off to Kindergarten. {Originally posted July, 2008}

As much as I want to deny it, Natalie is heading off to Kindergarten in four short weeks! She is beyond excited, but there is a touch of anxiety too. We are talking a lot about what she thinks it will be like, and beginning to practice routines and establish some special rituals.

I’ve gathered up some ideas – some are things I used when I taught Kindergarten, ideas I recommended to parents, etc. Many of these ideas we have used at home, when the girls started preschool, or even just staying overnight with the grandparents. Enjoy!

Before School Starts

  • Visit the school and play on the playground.
  • Practice your morning routine.
  • Get in the habit of choosing school clothes the night before.
  • Work on self-care skills, such as using the bathroom, putting on a jacket, washing hands, etc.
  • Role-play what to do in different situations (how to approach a new friend, asking to use the bathroom, etc.)

backpack_photos

The First Day

  • Send your child with something special to keep in her pocket or backpack, such as a family photo, special rock, felt heart, etc. Even the most independent kids will like having a little piece of home to take to school. Both my girls had little photos to hook to their backpacks at preschool. I made these with badge holders, which you can find at office supply stores.
  • Establish a good-bye ritual. This can be a really fun way to make the hard good-byes a little easier. Try creating your own “combo” with things like a kiss on each cheek, a high-five, a hug, a funny saying, an elbow-bump, hooking your pinkies together, etc.
  • Have a First Day of Kindergarten party with a special dinner, scavenger hunt for a new book, etc.

calendar

Create Routines & Rituals

  • Have a special after-school activity on Fridays.
  • Hide something in the car for your child to find after school. This was Natalie’s *favorite* thing – I hid notes, coins, small toys, and occasionally a piece of candy inside a plastic Easter egg. Definitely something to look forward to!
  • Make a monthly calendar. We use a big desk calendar, and the girls both mark down their school days and other special activities. You can also use a calendar to “journal” about the school year — just have your child tell you his favorite thing from the day, and write it on the calendar.
  • Keep a scrapbook or journal together. Natalie and I will be doing this for sure!

Tips for Parents

  • Have something planned for yourself the first day after drop-off — maybe meet a friend. Or, you could sit in your car and cry, like I’ll be doing…
  • Find ways to be involved in the classroom and keep updated on what your child is learning and doing.
  • Expect some crankiness, tantrums, napping, etc. for the first few weeks – adjusting to a new routine is hard work!
  • Have a snack in the car for your child at pick-up!

Helping Your Child Talk About the Day

Some kids talk non-stop about every detail of their school day, others say nothing. Both responses are normal! Here are some ways to encourage your kids to share about the happenings at school:

  • Keep a drawing pad and crayons in the car – your child can draw a picture of something from the school day on the ride home, then you can talk about it together at home.
  • Know the daily schedule and themes in your child’s classroom so you can ask specific questions. Asking questions like, “What did you do for choice time?” or “What did you learn about caterpillars today?” usually gets more detailed responses than, “What did you do today?”
  • Again, use that monthly calendar to write down something fun or interesting about each school day.

You can also check out my favorite books about Kindergarten – sharing stories is one of our favorite ways to start thinking and talking about a new adventure!

natalie_preschoolgrad

Do you have a little one heading off to Kindergarten? If you have ideas or tips on making the Kinder transition a bit more special, please share!

Comments

  1. Your blog is a delight! I am so glad I found it (via Crafty Crow). My boys and I did the ice excavation yesterday and it was a HUGE hit. I can’t wait to try a few more of your goodies – -the dandelion prints, the chore bucket, and the weather activity all look like fun. Thank you!!

  2. Great article!! I just linked to it on my blog. I wish I had read it last year, when I sent my oldest son to kindergarten. I especially liked your guided questions for catching up your child’s day at school.
    Two more tips that came to mind:
    1. Make lunch for your child the night before. Consider freezing PBJ sandwiches ahead of time – they freeze really well!
    2. Visit your child for lunch every other week – or whatever fits your schedule. It’s a good opportunity for your younger children to ‘be a big kid’ and you can get to know some of your child’s peers.

  3. Thanks for the article! I’ll be sending my eldest to kindergarten this year and I’m really nervous about the transition.
    One thing I did last year (my eldest attended preschool two days a week) to encourage my daughter to open up and tell me about her day was to ask her silly questions about what they did that day. For example, I’d ask if they had monkey toes for snack or something similar. The laughter helped her relax and she’d tell me about her day.

  4. My name is Natalie and I’m heading off to Kindergarten in a few weeks too… as a teacher. I really liked your list of suggestions. All great ideas!

  6. As a former Kindergarten teacher, my best advice is to drop off say a quick reassuring goodbye and LEAVE! I know it is sometimes hard but, in general, most kids calm down as soon as they get busy. But if Mom lingers so does the child’s anxiety.

  7. great ideas. My son is soooo nervous for Kinder, he is a shy, sensitive boy.
    One thought–don’t leave crayons in the car if you live in the heat. They could melt and ruin your seats!

  8. We have a “Sundaes on Sunday” party to kick off the school year, and my girls all invite one friend over to enjoy it. We have it the Sunday before school starts. I also let my kindergartener go with me shopping to pick out an alarm clock (we’ve had Hello Kitty, Disney Princess, etc..). They love it when their new alarm wakes them up. We learn to get in a routine of alarm going off and making your bed first thing. I, of course, am right there with her the first couple of weeks! Packing lunches the night before is my saving grace to not be rushed and grumpy in the morning. It only took me three kids to figure that out!

  9. these are such great tips! I wish I had read this before I sent my little one off to kindergarten last week! We had a rough start, but things are getting better.

  10. I’ll be sending my oldest to K in a few weeks, but I wanted to share what my sister does…she has a back to school brunch for all the moms after they drop off their children. She says it is a place to rejoice or cry; whatever you need to do. Younger kids can play with their friends and moms can have the mom support they need.

  11. Wonderful post–thank you! I recently made the last minute decision to enroll my five year old in school; in fact, we just registered her today. What I’ve been planning so far is to present her with her box of school supplies as a “gift” the night before school (since she has no clue that people buy new school supplies), and we’ll have a special dinner. Thanks to your post, I have a million other ideas as well!

  12. We did a lot of talking about what would happen during the day. For the first few weeks I would remind him what was in his back pack, what was for lunch etc…

    Leading up to school we I reminded him a lot about the school name and his teacher’s name as well. His bus services 4 different schools so I felt better having him know where he was going. They were pretty good at getting the kids where they needed to go, but I wanted him to feel confident about knowing where he needed to be.

    I also used the specific questions to get him talking about the day. Usually started with what he ate for lunch.

    • Sounds like you had lots of great communication going with your son – such good confidence boosters! Thanks for sharing!

  13. Thanks so much for reposting!
    My soon-to-be-kindy’er is very independent, and was part of a special-ed(speech) preschool class which met 4 days/week, so he’s very used to the idea of “half-day school.” Subsequently, he’s very nonchalant about it(seriously! I think I’m more excited than he is!) I love the ideas about drawing pictures of what happened at school on the way home. He loves drawing, and he doesn’t always remember everything that happened at school, so this might be a great thing for him to do.

    One thing I’m planning to do is make a ritual of taking the kids for ice cream(there’s an ice cream store nearby)after the first and last days, and any week-long break.

  15. Great job! I’m a kindergarten teacher and really appreciate posts like these! I recently wrote a free ebook on kindergarten readiness. It is available on my blogs. Hope you’ll stop by!

    lovelaughterandliteracy.blogspot.com
    becca-homeiswheremystorybegins.blogspot.com

    Becca