Get Ready For Kindergarten

Parents play an important role in ensuring their four- and five-year old is ready to go to school in September.  Getting a child ready for Kindergarten can mean a lot of things.  It is really a combination of skills, behaviours and attitudes that ensure a successful transition.  The resources found on this page will help families prepare children socially and emotionally, intellectually and physically for the joy and wonder of Kindergarten.

The most important goal of Kindergarten is to nurture your child's development.  We look forward to working with you and your child in the next school year and the years to come!

Gradual Entry

Entering the school system for the first time is a big step in your child’s life, as well as in yours. Your child’s feeling of excitement about the new experience may conflict with the fear of leaving you for an unfamiliar place. Gradual entry has been set up for the beginning of the school year. To help alleviate some of this concern and anxiety, a Gradual Entry process has been set up for the beginning of the school year. 

The Gradual Entry process may include:

• A school orientation in the Spring.
• A Family Conference which includes yourself, your child, and the teacher.
• Small group sessions where your child will have a chance to become familiar with the teacher, some classmates, and the school.

We want children to have a smooth transition and positive start-up to their schooling experience. The process of Gradual Entry:

• allows children time to adjust to their new environment, teacher, and peers in a smaller group and for a shorter school session,
• allows time for each family to meet with the teacher to share important information about their child and build positive relationships between home and school, and
• allows the teacher to focus on smaller groups during the Gradual Entry period, introduce children to classroom routines and procedures, and ease the transition for children so that they will feel comfortable and valued as a new member of the school community.

We understand that Gradual Entry may be somewhat challenging for families.  Thank you for supporting your child during this transition to school. Creating a positive beginning is important for each child.  Please contact your child's school to learn more about the Gradual Entry process for that school.

The Importance of Play

During your child’s Kindergarten year you will see children engaged in many different play activities. Play is a child’s work; their way of learning. Through their play, children develop sensory motor control, eye-hand coordination and problem solving skills. Physical, social, intellectual, and emotional development are enhanced through play.

Research has shown that play:

• enhances a child’s language development, 
• encourages thinking, creativity and problem solving,
• provides opportunities for children to represent their thinking, 
• acts as a basis for learning in literacy, numeracy, and other curricular areas,
• develops higher motivation to learn, and higher self-esteem, and
• nourishes natural curiosity and supports overall healthy development.

Ways Children Learn

In Kindergarten classrooms you will see children learning:

• through physical movement, music, the arts, and activity.
• through hands-on activities.
• to make thoughtful choices.
• to accept responsibility for their actions.
• to accept and respect others.
• by talking and playing with materials and each other.
• to be comfortable and confident in a larger social group.
• to cooperate, share, and take turns with classmates.
• by using literacy and numeracy skills throughout the day.
• by experimenting with print in a variety of playful ways.

Supporting Your Child

You can support your child’s Kindergarten experience by:

• helping your child have regular, prompt school attendance,
• seeing that your child gets enough sleep and a healthy meal before school,
• sharing information with the teacher about any situations that affect your child’s emotional well-being, and
• following up with home activities suggested by the teacher.

Separation Anxiety

A set of tips from Anxiety BC for parents and caregivers to support children as they transition.