"You Get What You Get!" Preparing children for Kindergarten

First of all! I would like to thank Crystal for allowing me to barge in on her blog today to share a thought or two.  

Let me introduce myself.  I am Maggie, a kindergarten teacher of 19 years.  I am a songwriter, pianist, and blogger.  You may have seen my blog, http://maggieskindercorner.blogspot.com,
or you may have cruised to my Facebook fan page, http://facebook.com/MaggiesKinderCorner. 

I love teaching little ones, and share many resources and ideas online.  Come and visit me soon! Now to the post! You may want to copy some of what I cover to a newsletter you can send home on parent night, so I am writing to parents and teachers alike.

I have heard the saying for many years, but it seems to have popped up on Pinterest a lot lately:  

"You get what you get

and you 

Appreciate it!" 
(You don't throw a fit, You are thankful for it)

Don't we all try from day one in kindergarten to instill in our students the concept of appreciation? It is so difficult for little ones to learn to share.  After all, they have been the center of THEIR world for the past five years! Your incoming students have had the adults in their lives wrapped around their little fingers, so relinquishing control of their busy day to a teacher while cooperating with classmates is a foreign concept to many.  I remember my son's teacher explaining how mortified my son was the first time he decided to leave his classroom to go see his grandpa who taught in the same building, and found out he couldn't just simply come and go as he pleased! He was crushed! Life as he knew it, the way most children know it...changed when he walked through that kindergarten door!

Since coming to school is perhaps the biggest event a child has experienced in his/her short life,  it is up to parents, teachers, and care providers to prepare them for this transition.  

Here are some ideas for helping children to know why it is important to "appreciate" the differences between school and home:

1. Discuss the importance of accepting something with a thank-you (even when you really wanted something else). 

2. Discuss the expectations you have at home for your child, such  as when it is time to play, take a bath, brush your teeth, pick up your toys, share a snack with a sibling, eat dinner, etc.

Then explain how school expectations will be different due to many people needing the teacher's attention, and how important it to wait or take turns with others.  The teacher loves each child, and values what he/she has to say.  Too many people talking keeps others from hearing and learning.

4.  Talk about the importance of routines like raising your hand for permission to say something, standing quietly in line, eating lunch without talking so much you MISS getting to eat, playground  safety, when it is important to listen such as during a lesson or a story, and reporting to the teacher only things that are understood to be harmful to self or others (tattling is a tough one!).  To grab this first freebie, click on the "Raise your hand." pic!

 5.  Explain how it is very important that a child stays with his/her  teacher and the class.  We want everyone to be safe. 

6. Tell your child/student that you will ask them every day to tell about something they have learned.  A great trick for getting them to open up is to ask, "Will you please show me how you did that?", or, "Can you teach me how to do that? It has been so long, I have forgotten!"

Engaging children in a brief daily discussion about what school expectations may be like will help to assure your child that he or she is fully prepared to walk through the doors ready to learn!

Now, here is your second freebie! I recommend picking out a cute 8x10 picture frame at Michael's or Hobby Lobby, trimming to fit, and placing in a prominent place in your classroom.  There are two printables:  one is a generic print with a bus and school children, and the other is a cute print with little owls on a bus with another waiting to be picked up.  I am so in love with owls, I made this little sign for myself, then decided to share with all of my friends.  Just click either pic to grab the set!

In addition to the signs, you may want to add this poem to your pocket chart for the beginning of the year.  Just click on the picture to download your third freebie! 

For more poems like the one above, go to my store by clicking this link:  Pocket Chart Poetry Bundle for the Year.

If you are interested in parenting tips, you can find many great articles on http://sulia.com  Some of my friends have written fantastic articles covering a variety of topics concerning school and home.  

Thank you for reading this guest post! I hope you found something of value in helping your child/students prepare for starting school!
Maggie