• Talk to your child’s preschool teacher or family child care provider on a regular basis and ask how you can help your child learn at home. Your child’s caregiver/teacher can be a great partner in helping you and your child prepare for the transition.
• Plan a kindergarten visit. Visiting the new classroom or school with your child will help make preparing for kindergarten easier. If possible, meet with your child’s new kindergarten teacher. Kindergarten orientation is time for you to introduce your child and yourself to the teacher. Remember there will be lots of children and families attending, so save in-depth conversations about your child for another time.
• Establish bedtime routines. Resume the regular bedtime routines about a month before school starts to help ease the kindergarten transition. You will be glad you did this as the first few weeks can be exhausting for a new kindergartner. You may also want to monitor afternoon and evening TV viewing habits or establish new limits to meet the new needs of your child’s school schedule.
• Establish a morning routine. Having a morning routine will save you time and frustration. See how long it takes in the morning to get to school before that first day. A “dry run” will help with time management. Remember, school preparation almost always takes more time than you think.
• Plan time for breakfast. Having a good breakfast before leaving for school is important. Be sure to adjust your morning schedule to account for the extra time for your child to enjoy breakfast. Nervous tummies don’t need a huge breakfast that first day.
• Create a lunch plan. Be sure your child understands the lunch plan. This can be very confusing for a kindergartner who thinks they might want to eat what the school is serving instead of the lunch you may have prepared.
• Decrease or phase out naps. For preschoolers who still take a nap, begin decreasing nap time so that he/she will be ready for a full day of school by the time kindergarten starts.
• Make a plan for before- and after-school. Make sure you and your child know the routine for before- and after-school care if that applies. Discuss where he/she will go, how he/she will get between school and child care, how he/she will get home, etc. Have a back-up plan for what to do in case you are late. Be sure that your emergency pick-up people know where the new school or after-school program is located and what the pick-up routine is there. Better to prepare ahead of time than wait for an emergency.
• Connect with your child’s teacher. It is important to give yourself and your child a chance to “bond” with the new teacher. Give time for the new relationship to develop between you, your child, and the new teacher as you all adjust to the kindergarten classroom.
• Go shopping together for school supplies. Let your child choose colors or styles for their school supplies. This is a fun activity when getting ready for kindergarten!
• Once kindergarten begins, keep informed of school happenings. Be sure to read the information that is shared with you about school happenings and don’t be afraid to ask questions!
• Keep in mind the transition doesn’t end on the first day of kindergarten. You will continue to be your child’s first and best teacher…AND your child’s best advocate when it comes to his or her education.

Check out these other articles on kindergarten transition:

• Transitioning to Kindergarten | NAEYC
• 12 Ways to Help Your Child Transition to Kindergarten | Harvard Health Publishing
• Kindergarten Transition (with videos!) | Clayton Early Learning
• Advice to a Kindergarten Parent from a Parent | Parent Map
• Get Ready for Kindergarten with Practical Tips, Tricks, and Tools | Common Sense Media

• Ready or Not Kindergarten, Here We Come | NAEYC 
• Is Your Child Ready for Kindergarten? The Skills They’ll Need This Fall (article & book list) | Scholastic
• Social Skills for Kindergarten | Education Corner
• Keys to Kindergarten: Social and Emotional Development | Leap Frog

Families are the most important and effective supporters of their children’s transition to kindergarten.

The PLAYbook, developed by the Colorado Department of Early
Childhood (CDEC), is a resource filled with activities families can do at home and includes a list of children’s books about the transition to kindergarten.

The PLAYbook is also available in:

• Spanish
• Somali
• Arabic
• Burmese

Kindergarten teachers are offer their advice to parents preparing to send their children to school:

• Interview with a Local Kindergarten Teacher| January 2022

• What Kindergarten Teachers Wish Parents Knew | Very Well Family

• 7 Things Kindergarten Teachers Want You to Know | Today’s Parent

• 10 Things Kindergarten Teachers Wish Parents Knew | Leap Frog

• Your child’s transition to kindergarten doesn’t end when you drop them off the first day. Check out these resources for keeping up with your child’s progress:

  •  Kindergarten: How Can I Tell If My Child Is Keeping Up? | Healthy Day Newsletter

The Early Learning & Development Guidelines video series includes a video on the topic of preparing for school:

• Kindergarten Expectations: Preparing for School

• Our community has many choices when it comes to the variety of education settings available. Here are some resources to consider as you begin to knock on doors:

  • What Kindergarten Is Right for My Child | NAEYC
  • What Makes a Good Kindergarten | Scholastic

Read and Write with Me Today developed by the Colorado Department of
Education (CDE) includes resources for families to support learning.

Starting school can be scary and exciting for both you and your child. Effective kindergarten teachers know that children are individuals who each start kindergarten with a wide range of skills. You do not need to drill your child with letters, numbers, and facts, before school starts. But there are some things you can do to prepare both you and your child for kindergarten. 

Learn more on the NAEYC kindergarten resource page HERE.