3 SCHOOL READINESS TIPS FOR PARENTS
School readiness starts with parents and caregivers. It is never too early to start spending time with your child to get them ready for school. Read to them, talk to them, and play with them. There are many tools that can send you bite-size instructions to perform such educational activities.
School-readiness refers to the academic, communication/social, and independence skills your children need to succeed in school. Here are 3 tips for parents to provide increase school-readiness:
1) Become their First Teacher (academics)
Children derive 83 to 96 percent of their vocabulary from their parents between the ages of 0–6. That is why it is crucial to spend time with your children to expose them to as many words as possible; enhancing their vocabulary. There are many activities you can perform as a parent to help. A couple examples include things like; teaching your child colors, reading to them daily, dictate every action you take throughout the day, and discuss what you read. Write, scribble, and draw with your child. Sing the alphabet song and etc.
2) Become their Coach (social/emotional/communication)
Since speaking and listening are sometimes learned before reading and writing, help your child communicate his/her thoughts and feelings. Not only will this help with their academic performance, but also prepare them to get along better with other children and adapt to changing environments. Things you can do as a parent to provide the communication and social skills necessary for better school-readiness include things like: setting rules and consequences, having routines, encouraging your child to listen and respond to others when they are speaking, discussing positive ways for your child to express his/her feelings and etc.
3) Be their Sensei (independence)
Your children need to build confidence and self-esteem at early ages by increasing their independence. As they grow they will be expected to do many things by themselves. Teach your young grasshopper how to fish early on. This is important because paying attention to the small details will immensely help parents raise self-sustaining adults. A couple things parents can do to achieve this are: buying clothes that are easy for your children to buckle and zip on their own, letting your children dress themselves and tie their own shoes, doing simple chores like cleaning up their toys, and letting them do puzzles or play with Legos by themselves.
Improving school-readiness is about providing your children the types of experiences that will help them be successful at school. Increase your child’s exposure to academics like vocabulary words and numbers, increase their social, emotional, and communication skills, and increase their independence. These three tips will help enhance your child’s experience being taught subjects in a classroom setting, interacting with other children, and being proactive about their independent behaviors to increase their self-confidence and competence.
