How to Help Your Child Get Ready for Preschool
Preparing your child for preschool is an exciting time filled with opportunities to foster independence, curiosity, and confidence. In the months leading up to their first day, small, everyday activities can help your child transition smoothly into a classroom environment.
Encourage Daily Story Time
Reading together daily is one of the best ways to build early literacy skills. Incorporating story time into your routine beyond bedtime helps expand your child's vocabulary, improve listening skills, and ignite a love of books. Visiting the library for story hours designed for young children can also expose your child to group activities similar to those they will experience in preschool.
Promote Outdoor Play and Physical Activity
Time outdoors is equally important. Visiting parks allows children to develop large motor skills like running, jumping, and climbing, while also giving them natural opportunities to socialize with other children. Experiences at the park teach valuable lessons about sharing space, taking turns, and making friends.
Introduce Music and Movement
Introducing music into your child's daily life can also support school readiness. Singing, dancing, and listening to a variety of music styles encourage movement, memory, rhythm, and language development. Preschool classrooms often incorporate music and movement into their daily activities, so early exposure at home can ease the transition.
Foster Creativity Through Art
Providing access to art materials such as crayons, markers, paint, glue, and safety scissors allows children to develop fine motor skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. Giving children the freedom to create without focusing on a perfect outcome builds confidence and independence, both of which are important traits for preschool success.
Prepare for Potty-Training
Beginning or continuing potty-training is a key step toward preschool readiness. Whether you choose to start at home or work with a preschool that supports potty-training, helping your child develop bathroom independence will make the transition to school smoother.
At Good Shepherd Preschool, we partner with families to support every aspect of the preschool transition. Our nurturing environment, flexible parent involvement options, and readiness to assist with potty-training make us an excellent choice for your child's early education journey.
We welcome you to contact us to learn more about our program and schedule a tour.