{"id":4224,"date":"2025-08-15T13:38:18","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T13:38:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mabelslabels.com\/blog\/?p=4224"},"modified":"2025-09-08T13:57:35","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T13:57:35","slug":"tips-on-how-to-prepare-for-kindergarten-from-a-teacher-and-mom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mabelslabels.com\/blog\/2025\/08\/15\/tips-on-how-to-prepare-for-kindergarten-from-a-teacher-and-mom\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Your Child Ready for Kindergarten? Academic and Life Skills Checklist"},"content":{"rendered":"

With our kids starting school in just over a month, many first-time Kindie moms are beginning to feel like they can\u2019t be prepared enough for what is about to happen. From the emotional rollercoaster, the school lunches, routine changes, worries about our kids\u2019 making friends, eating their lunch, and all the other elements of independence they\u2019re about to embark on. It\u2019s hard to know where to begin with getting our kids prepared. Here is how to prepare for Kindergarten: tips from a teacher and mom.<\/span><\/p>\n

The only thing most of us know for sure is we\u2019re about to be a sobbing mess on that first day of school. Have I prepared my little one for this?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We asked Kindie parent and teacher, Ms. McNulty, what tips she would give to other parents. What does she expect kindies to know on the first day of class, and how she\u2019s preparing her own daughter for school?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve broken her top tips down into skill sets, and some typical concerns parents have about sending off their kids.<\/span><\/p>\n

Self-Help Skills Kids Need Before Starting Kindergarten:<\/h3>\n

Dress themselves<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0(in case of accidents)
\n<\/span>Your child should be able to dress themselves in their spare clothing. Elastic-waisted clothes are best, pant buttons are too tricky, and the teacher may not be available to help immediately. Undoing a button on their pants when desperate to pee will not end well.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shoes
\n<\/span><\/strong>Slip on are best! Even if they can tie, slip-on is easier (a pair for inside and outside). The <\/span>left-right shoe labels<\/span><\/a> are great for getting them to put their shoes on the correct feet!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Using different toilets<\/span><\/strong>
\n<\/span>This sounds weird, but many kids feel nervous about an unfamiliar toilet. So, practice using various toilets when you\u2019re out and about to get them more familiar with it. Plus, many kids leave it until the last possible moment to use the toilet, and any hesitation or delay can lead to an accident.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Wiping their own nose<\/span><\/strong>
\n<\/span>The first few months of kindergarten will be snotty. It\u2019s important to send your child with tissues and ensure they know when they need to blow (tricky) or at least wipe their nose. The teacher can\u2019t spend all day wiping 30 noses.<\/span><\/p>\n

Opening their own lunchbox
\n<\/span><\/strong>Practice using the lunch box and containers with your child the week before school\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When teaching your child some of these skills, keep this great tip in mind for supporting them in learning:
\n<\/span>I DO – WE DO – YOU DO
\n<\/em><\/strong>You show them how to do it, then do it together, hand-over-hand or using as much oral encouragement and direction as needed. Then, when you feel they are ready, they can do it independently, with zero support from you.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Social-Emotional Skills Kids Need Before Starting:<\/h3>\n

Taking turns
\n<\/span><\/strong>Taking turns doesn\u2019t come naturally, so practice and play games where you have to take turns. Take turns with who goes first, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Learning how to lose<\/span><\/strong>
\n<\/span>We like to let our own children win, but that won\u2019t be the case in school with 30 other students. So work on being a good loser. Using words like –\u00a0<\/span>wow, what a good game!<\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/span>I am so proud of you for winning<\/span><\/em>\u00a0(when you lose), and it\u2019s important to then have your child lose at the game too.<\/span><\/p>\n

Allow them to have those big feelings and talk to them about it.\u00a0<\/span>I can see you are really upset that I won. It can be hard to lose, but we still had such fun playing! Let\u2019s play again and see what happens!\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Making friends
\n<\/span><\/strong>Kids at this age are adaptable, so don\u2019t worry if your child has never been in a scenario like a school before. By the end of the first week, most children will have met some friends (though they may not know their names!)<\/span><\/p>\n

If you feel like your child still hasn\u2019t met any friends, mention it to the teacher. They can keep an eye out in class to see what is going on and help to facilitate some friendships.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Academic Skills Do Kindergarten Kids Need?<\/h3>\n

Getting ready for school can seem scary, but know that academics are the least concerning area. Kids arrive at school with many different levels from being able to read to not being able to recognize their own name.\u00a0 <\/span>Don\u2019t stress out about academics. Your child\u2019s teacher is well prepared to help each child learn.
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\nHowever, if you do want to work on your child\u2019s academic skills beforehand, here are a few things you can do. <\/span>Note:<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0Make these tips seem like play!<\/span><\/p>\n

Recognize their name
\n<\/span><\/strong>This helps them be more independent from the get-go. From finding their cubby to spotting their labels.<\/span><\/p>\n

Work on segmenting easy words<\/span><\/strong>
\n<\/span>CAT – \/c\/ \/a\/ \/t\/ <\/span>You can do this while reading a story and just sound out a word and have your child tell you what it is. <\/span>Play a game where you say\u00a0<\/span>the \/d\/ \/o\/ \/g\/ goes woof<\/span><\/em>\u00a0– and have them tell you the animal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rhyming
\n<\/span><\/strong>Rhyming is tricky – have your child tell you if two words rhyme or not, then you can move on to creating their own rhyming words.<\/span><\/p>\n

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