As a parent, there is so much you want to do for your children; from making sure they eat the right foods and pay attention to looking both ways before crossing the street to ensuring they get the best out of life, there is a lot to think about when you are a parent. One of the ways that you can play an important part in your child’s life is to become involved in their education; by doing so, the education your child will receive a benefit that will last him or her in the years to come, after all these are your child’s informative years. These 11 Tips for Kindergarten Parents will help all parents to better understand the importance of their child’s education.
11 Tips for Parents
There is a lot you can do to help your child get a good start in their educational career; from the very beginning, starting from pre-K and into Kindergarten these are the informative years that will matter the most to your child’s education success. These tips will help you get going in the right direction.
1. Introductions
Sometime during the first week of the start of school, make introductions between you and your child’s teacher. Why wait until the first parent-teacher meeting to meet your child’s teacher? You can either step into the classroom after picking your child up from school and the halls have cleared or you can send an e-mail to him or her; either way you go about making that first contact, make certain you make it. By doing this, you will set up a positive note for the school year ahead. Of these 11 tips for kindergarten parents, this first tip will lead you to discover more of what you can do for your child in their school career.
2. Classroom Help
More and more kindergarten teachers are welcoming help from those parents that want to give more of themselves not just to their child but to other children as well. Much of the help that is needed pertains to what the teacher needs; this may include helping the teacher prepare for lessons, art projects, reading to the children, and or making worksheet copies for the days ahead.
3. Be a Room Parent
What some kindergarten teachers are doing these days are assigning one to two parents the responsibility to plan a class party during the holidays and other special events that will take some additional time that maybe the teachers do not have depending on the school calendar and other activities that are taking place. Being a room parent allows you to get to know your child’s teacher and to be an intricate part of the class but more specifically your child’s school life.
4. Volunteer
If for whatever reason you are unable to make it into your child’s classroom at any time during the school day, you can let the teacher know and express to him or her that you would like to help out in any other way possible. In these situations, the teacher will more than likely give you tasks that you can do from home. These tasks may include but will not be limited to:
- Making Phone Calls to Other Parents to give Friendly Reminders and Other Important Information that the Parents will need to know about.
- Help Prepare for Lessons for the Days Ahead.
- Make Props for School Plays/Recitals and Much More!
By bringing home your volunteer work and ethics, you are showing your child that school is one of the most important things in life that he or she must be diligent in; this will in turn help to build and strengthen the connection between you and your child’s teacher.
5. Make a Special Appearance
In many ways, by showing up to spend time with your child and his or her class, you are making your presence known that you can be depended on. You can plan a visit to your child’s classroom to share something special about yourself or your family. An example of this can be your job, your cultural background, or a hobby that you can teach the children how to do. The cherry on top? Your child will be so proud to express to everyone that you’re his or her Mom or Dad; that is just enough of an incentive, don’t you think?
6. Educate Yourself About Your Child’s School
With the changes that take place, unfortunately, with the most recent school devastations and heartbreak more schools are taking the time to be proactive by giving all of their parents the information they need to have peace of mind for their child’s safety as well as for their education. By reading your child’s school handbook that is provided to you, you can learn more about the school’s policies and what you can expect should their ever be an issue; to stay informed by reading all school and parent-teacher group’s newsletters is of great importance and could help you help your child later on if the need should arise. Should your child’s school have a website, do yourself a favor and check it regularly for any and all updates and information; stay in the know as they grow.
7. Reach Out and Connect to Other Parents
Your child will make several friends throughout their life, many of them will be made in your child’s first 2 or 3 years of school; you want to look for any opportunity to meet and get to know the parents of these classmates/friends. To do this you can volunteer to be a chaperone on field trips, attend each class party and or assembly. It is important to not be shy when introducing yourself to the other parents; go a step further and exchange phone numbers as well as e-mail addresses. Each parent will become a valuable part of the support system that you want to build in the first year of school and far beyond that.
8. Be Present
For many children, seeing their Mom and or Dad at school events like assemblies, open houses, art shows, and other school present events is important to them. These events are held so that parents can meet each of the staff members and other parents that are somehow involved in their child’s school career. By going with your child to these events, you are helping your child feel more comfortable in his or her school; especially if your child is the “new kid in school”.
9. Have Open Communications about School
This is one of the most important tips of the 11 tips for kindergarten parents that all parents should follow on a daily basis. Each day as your child comes home from school, be sure to ask him or her specific questions so that you can get your child to talk about their day. Instead of asking the typical questions like, “How was your day today?” ask your child, “What was the best part of your day that happened at school today?” or “Is there one thing that was new today that you learned in class?” These questions will encourage your child to engage you more and in turn will allow for your to have better and more open levels of communications with your child about school and anything else that he or she may want to talk to you about.
10. Show Your Child that School is Important
Each day is a new day for your child to learn, discover, and try new things. When your child comes home and tells you something they learned and or did today be sure to always give your child praise for their efforts; trying anything is better than doing nothing. Show your child that his hard work is really showing or stick her artwork or other school papers on the refrigerator for all to see. You want to show and express that school is important and the work your child does is important as well.
11. Sign up to Join the PTO or PTA
Your child’s school has a parent group that allows parents and teachers to come together for the betterment of your child’s school and the children who attend. This group, known as the PTO or PTA is a great way to learn more about your child’s school as well as a great way to making lasting relationships with the teachers and parents you meet over the years.
Of these 11 tips for kindergarten parents, you can find the ones that will help you the most to help your child get the most from their education; they deserve the best that they can get.
