Whether it’s preschool or kindergarten that your child will be attending, change can be unsettling for everyone involved. Before school starts, there are a few things parents should know and can do to help ease their family into a new school routine.
Visit the School
The more time your child spends at the school they’ll attend—especially with you—the more comfortable they’ll be when they start attending school by themselves.
- Arrange a tour at your local elementary school or early learning center.
- Attend concerts or other public events that interest your child at the school.
- Play on the playground.
Know the Rules
It’s true: Schools have lots of rules and policies, all geared toward ensuring a safe and healthy environment for students and staff. Check out school handbooks or websites to be familiar with rules that you know will impact your family, such as:
- Pick-up and drop-off times and locations.
- Parking.
- Food for classroom parties/birthdays.
- Safety policies, such as propping doors open.
- Visitor and volunteer rules and policies.
Attendance Matters
Regular attendance builds the school-going habit and helps children develop relationships with teachers and school staff. But there are other reasons daily, on-time attendance is important.
- Teachers schedule their time in the classroom to the minute; late arrivals can disrupt learning and distract other students.
- Early grades lay the foundation for future learning, and regular attendance helps children develop the reading, writing and math skills they will need in the future.
- If your child says they don’t want to go to school, talk to your child’s teacher as soon as possible—you might be able to help address a small issue before it becomes a big problem.
Teamwork Matters
Once you’ve made the decision to enroll your child in school, think of their teacher and school as a partner. You all have the same goal for your child: to be happy and successful.
Talk with your child about what’s happening in their world away from home and take advantage of the many ways schools share information with families.
- Parent-teacher conferences.
- Parent-teacher organizations or school community councils.
- Read through papers sent home.
- Check out teacher and/or school websites, if they have one.
- Find out how your child’s teacher prefers to communicate: email, phone, text message app.
Remember, you’re all in this together. If there is something happening at home or school that you think is, or could, negatively affect your child, let their teacher know. They can’t help if they aren’t aware. They can work with you and your child to find solutions or accommodations to make school a positive place where your child can learn and grow.