Starting kindergarten is a big milestone for both children and parents.
The first day of school brings new teachers, new friends, new routines, and lots of new expectations. And while parents may wonder whether their child has practiced their letters, numbers, or sight words enough, some of the most important preparation for kindergarten happens in much simpler ways.
Children thrive at school when they arrive ready to communicate, connect, follow routines, manage emotions, explore, and learn.
Here are five things families can do to help set their new kindergartener up for a fantastic first year.
1. Read togetherāand talk about what you’re reading. š
Reading to your child is one of the most powerful school-readiness activities you can do at home.
Shared reading supports language, literacy, cognitive development, and social-emotional development. And parents don’t need to turn reading into a lesson. Asking “What do you think happens next?”, talking about the pictures, or letting your child retell part of the story can make reading even more engaging and valuable.
Hall Tip: Try 15 minutes of reading together before bed. Ask your child one or two questions about the story and let the conversation go wherever their imagination takes it.
2. Build predictable routines. ā°
Kindergarten asks children to move through a surprisingly structured day: arrival, circle time, activities, lunch, cleanup, transitions, and dismissal.
Simple routines at home can help children practice knowing what comes next. Consistent and predictable routines can also help young children feel safe and secure while building confidence and independence.
Hall Tip: Establish simple morning and bedtime routines. Let your child participate in tasks like getting dressed, putting pajamas away, packing a backpack, or placing shoes by the door. Independence grows through practice.
3. Practice the social skills that make a classroom work. š¤
Knowing the alphabet is wonderful. Knowing how to ask for help, wait for a turn, share, listen, and tell someone how you’re feeling is just as important.
At around age five, children are developing increasingly sophisticated social and emotional abilities. Parents can strengthen these skills through play, conversation, and everyday problem-solving.
Hall Tip: Role-play little kindergarten moments: “What could you say if someone is playing with the toy you want?” or “What could you do if you don’t understand what the teacher asked you to do?”
These small conversations build big confidence.
4. Protect their sleepāit’s part of learning. š“
A well-rested brain is better prepared to learn.
Most five-year-olds need approximately 10ā13 hours of sleep within a 24-hour period, including naps when appropriate. A calm, consistent bedtime routine and limiting screens before bedtime can help children get the rest their growing bodies and brains need.
Hall Tip: The first month of kindergarten can be surprisingly tiring! Keep bedtime as consistent as possible, even when evenings get busy. If your child seems extra tired, emotional, or easily frustrated after school, remember that adjusting to a full school day takes a lot of energy. A little extra rest and a quieter evening may be exactly what they need.
5. Keep the excitement about school going. ā¤ļø
The first few months of kindergarten are filled with new experiences. Your child is getting to know a new teacher, making friends, learning classroom routines, and discovering what it feels like to be a kindergartener.
Parents can help build a positive connection to school by showing genuine interest and enthusiasm. Talk positively about your child’s teacher and school. Celebrate the things they’re learning. Ask about the people they’re meeting and the things that made them laugh. Your enthusiasm helps reinforce the message that school is a safe, exciting place where wonderful things can happen.
At the same time, make room for the hard days. It’s perfectly normal for a child to love kindergarten one day and feel overwhelmed by it the next.
Hall Tip: Instead of simply asking, “How was school today?” try questions that invite your child to share a story: “What made you smile today?” āWhat was the most interesting thing you did?ā or “Tell me something you like about your teacher.” Listen, celebrate the little victories, and let your child know how excited you are about this new adventure.
One More Thing: Don’t Try to Create the “Perfect” Kindergartener
Children arrive at kindergarten with different strengths, personalities, experiences, and developmental timelines. That’s okay.
School readiness isn’t a race to see who can read firstāit’s about helping children develop the confidence, curiosity, relationships, and foundational skills that allow them to keep learning. Shared reading, conversation, play, routines, and nurturing relationships all contribute to that foundation.
And perhaps the best thing parents can communicate as kindergarten begins is wonderfully simple:
“You are ready to learn. Your teachers are there to help you. And I can’t wait to hear about your day.”
Meet One of Hall’s Amazing Preschool Teachers
āI love my job so much because it doesnāt feel like I’m going to work. It feels like Iām going home.ā -Ms. Shasha, Head Teacher
Ms. Shasha has been an early childhood educator for 18 years and taught toddler and preschool students at Hall for 4 of those years. From a young age, Ms. Shasha knew she had a nurturing spirit and therefore knew that teaching was for her. She’s taught several different age groups, but Early Childhood always interested her most and gave her the most purpose.
She has many memorable moments as a teacher, like when a non-verbal student spoke for the first time. But her favorite memory is receiving her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education as her daughter watched her walk across the stage. She is also proud to be the first person in her family to obtain a college degree.
To her coworkers, Ms. Shasha is an inspiration. She is strong, ambitious, and hard-workingāsetting an example for her colleagues to aspire and achieve more.
Learn more about early childhood education at Hall Neighborhood House!