When your child starts school at any level, whether it is preschool, kindergarten, grade school, or beyond, he or she must already have particular skills familiarized. Your child is not expected to master them but having those age-appropriate skills is a requirement for entering a specific school level.
If you want to assess your kid’s readiness for preschool, here is a list of basic skills and tasks your child should be able to undertake to show you they are ready to attend preschool. Don’t worry if your child is not at these milestones. You have to remember: every child develops at his or her own pace, so there is no reason to panic if he or she isn’t quite there yet. Most preschool curriculums will help get your child up to speed if there is an area that has some room for improvement.
Consider these as general guidelines to look at, to help you get a fair idea of what your child’s preschool teacher will be checking for when school commences. Without further ado, here is a concise checklist of essential things your kid should know before entering preschool:
1) How to use the potty
Preschools may vary in their requirements, but this one is pretty much a given. Students should know how to use the toilet. You must not worry as preschool teachers are trained to understand that “accidents” will sometimes happen. And when those incidents occur, you can rest assured that the teachers will be there to support your child and help them to become more consistent in using the toilet. It is crucial, though, that you be upfront with your preschool about your kid’s potty skills when you enroll them.
2) Social skills
Your child’s social skills hold more weight in preschool than their academic proficiency. They’ll definitely have more time to hone their academic skills later on in life but for now, having proper social skills will allow them to get their journey off the right foot. Your child should be comfortable enough to be left at school and must be willing to share, play with others, practice good manners, and adapt well to other children. You can help your child practice these skills by having him or her engage in play dates before entering preschool.
3) Organization skills
One significant skill that you must impart upon your child before he or she enters preschool is organization. You can help them hone this skill by asking them to store similar items or toys in baskets or bins after playtime. You can also make the task less of a chore by helping them put the toys away and turning it into a game to see who will finish first. This skill will come in handy in preschool since they will be tasked with cleaning up after themselves after play sessions.
4) Letter recognition
To be clear, your child does not need to know how to read or write but he or she must show some form of readiness such as being able to recognize letters. Being able to distinguish between shapes and colors will also go a long way in helping your child progress in preschool.
5) Motor skills
Your child should be able to show proficiency in fundamental motor skills and strength and balance. You can test their skills at home by asking them to jump in place, stand on one foot, and run, and kick. Your child should also be able to navigate around different objects, and you can help them practice that skill by bringing them to a playground near your home. Your kid should also have hand-eye coordination skills, which they can practice in playing with building blocks and easy puzzles.
