3 Simple Ways to Help Your Child Succeed in Preschool

Getting back into the school year can be a fun and exciting time! I get asked a lot by my students’ parents ways they can help their child thrive in the preschool environment. As parents, you want to help your child be the best version of themself and do everything to help them along the way. As we begin the new school year I just wanted to communicate with parents 3 simple ways that they can really help their child succeed in preschool.

• Try to establish a morning routine with your child – You know them best! Getting into a routine where they feel familiar with what will be going on really helps you get out the door on time! I know personally when I stray from our ‘normal’ morning routine my kids seem just ‘lost’ and then it makes me feel crazy! Ha! Include your child in their routine, have them help pack the morning snack ahead of time, pack their backpack on Sunday nights so they have their crib sheet, blanket/lovey ready to go. Give them the chance to show some independence and be in charge of their morning.

• Have conversations and make connections with your child’s teachers – I love talking with parents in the morning! Especially when a child is coming in grumpy/sad/mad. It is very helpful to know the reason ‘why’. We want to help your child talk about how they are feeling and help them work through their issue, especially when something happens at the very beginning of their day.

When my son has a rough night of sleep or a tough time out the door, I always try to have a quick conversation with his teacher. As a parent, I want to know he was able to work through it (even if it wasn’t with me). Tell us the super happy things too! When there is an exciting transition –moving, new pet, new sibling, etc. these are wonderful things to discuss with your child as well. They really love sharing these topics with us most of the time, but its great to have the conversation with you as well.

• Talk to your child on the drive home – Open up the conversation to allow your little one to express how their day was and what they did. I encourage parents to check LifeCubby and the front of our classroom door to see the main topics we focused on for the day. Use those topics as conversation starters on the way home. When you read under Science that your child’s class played with real worms, ask open-ended questions to see what they thought about the activity. Try to stay away from questions that may only get a “yes or no” response. Making this connection at the end of the school day is a great transition from preschool to home.

These are just a few easy ideas to help get the school year started off right! We all want to see your child grow as a whole person-socially, emotionally, and academically. Lets all kick off the new school year making these wonderful connections, setting important routines, and setting up the kiddos to really succeed!

-Ms. Whitney
Curriculum Coordinator
Lead Pre-Kindergarten Teacher