The move from pre-K to kindergarten is a huge step in a child’s life and education. As exciting as it is challenging, this transition sets the tone for all future learning and introduces fundamentals they will use the rest of their lives.
Veteran kindergarten teacher Stephanie Williams, who has taught in Escambia County Public Schools for the past 33 years, knows all too well how crucial the first year of school can be.
“I look at it as building a house. The foundation is kindergarten,” Williams said. “That’s when they learn their letters and their sounds and how to put words together.”
In Florida, to promote to first grade, kindergartners must master several tasks, including learning 82 sight words, writing and counting to 100 and writing a full sentence with capital letters and punctuation. Kindergarten also marks a shift from the play-based learning of preschool programs to a more structured academic environment.
“I try really hard to put as much hands-on learning into my teaching as possible,” Williams said. “Because I know they’re 5 years old!”
In general, Williams added, kindergartners are most prepared when they start school knowing how to line up, sit still, listen to instructions and have the ability to communicate how they are feeling and what they are thinking.
But the most vital component? Parental involvement.
“Kids are always more successful when parents are more involved in their learning, and as a teacher, I am more successful when parents realize this is a partnership,” Williams said. “We are doing this together!”
Williams welcomes parents’ questions and concerns but makes it clear to parents that they have the most influence on their child and that what they are saying and doing at home will always have the greatest impact. As important as saving for their future higher education is, the investment of time and intention is equally important. She encourages parents to talk about school and learning in a positive, helpful way.
“Do everything you can to boost your child’s love of learning,” she said. “Get them excited about waking up and going to school. Talk to them about how much fun they will have, how they are going to learn to write their name and learn to read, and how much they’re going to love their teacher.”
Williams offers parents these 5 ways to help their children thrive in kindergarten:
- Fill Your Home with Books. Board books, picture books, chapter books — all kinds of books. Don’t overthink it, just model good reading habits. “Make reading a priority,” Williams said. “Read at home. Read all the time!”
- Prioritize Attendance. Barring a legitimate illness, make sure your child gets to school each day. “I wish more parents understood how critical attendance is,” Williams said. “Every single day I’m teaching something new. Every day we cover curriculum.” In fact, research has found that kindergartners with frequent absences are less likely to meet state proficiency standards in third grade.
- Don’t Ignore Homework. Williams assigns homework, but it’s not designed to be intense or stressful. She prefers to focus homework on the specific areas where a child might need improvement. “If you don’t know how to write your name, if you don’t know how to cut or hold scissors, that’s your homework,” she said. “We just make sure it doesn’t overwhelm them.”
- Ask About Your Child’s Day. Carve out time to discuss your child’s day at school. “Ask specific questions,” Williams said. “You can ask them who they sat with at lunch or who they played with at recess. Encourage them to share details about their day.” This is a great time to instill confidence in your child by complimenting what they are doing in school.
- Start Saving for College Now. It might feel early, but kindergarten is the perfect time to start thinking about your child’s future education — and that includes saving for it. Just as you’re laying the foundation for their academic success, you can also begin building a financial foundation. Florida Prepaid College Savings Plans make it easy and affordable to start small and grow your savings over time. Williams says that in addition to speaking matter-of-factly about near-future milestones like first grade, talk with your kids about college and the concept of lifelong learning. “I’m not entirely sure they understand, but I talk about college all the time.”
Whether your child is just starting kindergarten or already dreaming of college, it’s never too early to start planning and planting the seeds of tomorrow in their growing minds! Since 1988, Florida Prepaid’s goal has been to help make saving for college affordable and attainable for all Florida families. Build your perfect college savings strategy in minutes!
