5 Back to School Tips for Preschool Parents

Is your preschooler headed to back to school or to school for the first time? There are some things you can do to help prepare your child for the next couple of weeks.

As my son starts Kindergarten this year, my daughter will be starting her second year of preschool so while we prepare my son we’re also doing a few things to prepare my daughter.

5 Back to School Tips for Preschool Parents

#1. Get That Routine Started

You’re probably aware of how important a routine is for your preschooler. I have to say that the younger your children are then the more important a routine is. If your preschooler takes a nap, you may need to start phasing that out, so they’re not in shock as they approach the upcoming school year.

#2. Communication is Vital

Don’t just throw your child into preschool without talking with them first. They really need to understand what’s happening and why. Preschool isn’t traumatic by any means, but each preschooler can take it a bit differently. Start talking to your child about preschool a few weeks before they actually start attending.

#3. Repetition is Important

Your child is going to learn a lot of awesome educational techniques at school. It’s important that you help reiterate some of these techniques at home. For example: If they’re learning about the color blue at school, mix it into you routine at home.

#4. Reading Never Happens too Early

Most preschoolers aren’t reading before they head to school. However, you can start the reading process now. Start this process by reading to them on a daily basis. You can help your child get ready to read by doing small activities with them.

• Reading together everyday
• Talking about everyday life together
• Keep books everywhere you can imagine.

Of course, you can also re-read their favorite books to them, point out important parts of the story to them, and even be interactive while you read the story.

#5. Get Involved

As a parent of a preschooler, there are several things you can do to get involved. You can volunteer to bring a snack, help round up kids in the morning, or just enjoy hanging out with your little guy or girl. Some kids might actually not do well with their parents around, so it’s a trial and error process.

Bonus Tip

The younger years are some of the most important years of your child’s life on an academic level. If you suspect that your child might be behind in any way shape or form, you should consider getting them evaluated. An evaluation doesn’t mean something is wrong with them, it just means that you’re taking an extra step to be informed. If something is awry, then it’s easier to put a plan of action together.

One more tip—enjoy this year with your child. Make it as fun and exciting as possible. Our children already grow up too fast, so let’s make preschool one of the best years of their lives. We love continuing to learn through the fun activities we do and that includes our screen time as well.

We were excited to find out that PBS Kids and Walmart are gearing up for a Back to School Preschool promotion to keep kids entertained during the summer months when school’s out. That means we can continue to help prepare our daughter for the next year of preschool while still enjoying summer fun.

This promotion is aimed to encourage children to continue their learning throughout the summer and features kids’ favorite characters – CAILLOU, WORDGIRL, ARTHUR and DANIEL TIGER – within episodic DVDs that cover the major learning categories taught throughout the academic year. Among the subjects featured are social skills, reading, math, and science. Now that’s a great way to get kids excited about learning!

How do you help your preschooler prepare for the next year?