Getting ready for the first day of Preschool - Part 1

image taken by me

Seriously, it is the one and only day when I cry with the children. It's the most challenging part of being a teacher. It is also a day when I am very excited and look forward to. Some students come straight from their mom's shelter, for some it's their 2nd year while for others it's their last year. So, it's a mixed emotions time. And everyone help each other a great deal.

Summer time is a good time for preparing children for the next year or for their 1st day of preschool. Although, most of the schools have an 'orientation day' before the school starts, then, we have a week open only for our senior students, or for our old students, still, it's nicer if children do not get a big change in their schedule after summer vacations. So, to keep their emotion up to date it's nicer to have more organized and a planned summer.

In this part 1, lets start with the older children. I strongly suggest parents of the older children, to keep up with their reading schedules daily, for example, children should read Bob books daily or give them a small paragraph to read from any book, basically spend more time reading different kinds of books. The sleeping hours and nap time should be same ALL the time. I mean around the year. Parents should keep a good check on their eating and drinking milk habits. It is easier to maintain the sleeping and eating schedules with a older child. So, you can give him/er the rest of the time to work with some fun activities, for example, making things with Lego's, some science activities, start a challenging puzzle, or spend some good time in the library.

The most important thing parents can do is to keep them in touch with their school friends. Talk to them about friendship, good behavior, respecting elders and lastly, but not the least, how they can be a good helping hand to their younger friends, siblings and elders. We do the same in the school. In the group circle time we do lots and lots of talking by giving examples, reading books or while playing. 'I spy'  and a 'Detective' game are good games to play with children.

What I am trying to say is, keep the environment at home which motivates them to learn, for example, if you talk about values, science activities, friendship or math or reading, they will be curious and would like to know the methods to learn. In other words, be their role model. You must be thinking why during summer vacations only. Of course, you will be their role model for the whole life but you get an opportunity to spend more time with your children during the summer vacations, that's now ! Your children and you get to see each other now, as compared to the rest of the year. So, why not make the good use of it. This will give them an energy/motivation
to look forward to go to school in September, or they may encourage you to send them to a summer session.