Activities for Kindergarten, Here I come:
Have your children practice counting as far as they can, by 1’s, 5’s and 10’s in preparation for the 100th day of kindergarten. Have them pick out one of their favorite things from home and share it with you or their siblings by talking about what they love about it.
Have children work with you to come up with their own rhyming sentences, letting their names lead the way to the topic. If their names do not rhyme with anything, you can use an initial, nickname, middle name or shortened version. For our son, Grayson, it is easier to use “Mr. Gray” for the purpose of rhyming. At this age, they find rhyming very amusing and are delighted when they help create rhymes.
Examples:
who loved the rain.
Yoko Writes Her Name, by Rosemary Wells, is a story about a kindergartener who was judged by other students because she couldn’t write her name in English. The other students grew to admire her ability to write in Japanese and she taught them to write their names in Japanese characters. This is a great story to encourage children to embrace diversity and recognize each other’s strengths. It is also an opportunity to discuss the poor choices some students made in the beginning of the story.
Activity for Yoko Writes Her Name
Use this website to convert your child’s name into Japanese for free. Notice the beauty. Talk about the many languages people use to communicate including sign language and braille. Let them know that learning language allows them to learn about different cultures and make new friends. This can also be a great lead in to discuss what your
children can do when children make fun of them or others.
The Night Before Kindergarten by Natasha Wing, is a fun story in the style of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas discussing the night before the first day of kindergarten through the first day of school. The story talks about the ways the kids get ready and how happy they are with their new routine. The funny catch to the story is that the parents are more emotional than the kids about the separation. The teacher sends them on their way while the children provide reassurance that they like kindergarten.
Activity for The Night Before Kindergarten
Do a trial run day a few days or a week before school starts. Have your child pack a backpack (or prepare for school if homeschooling.) Have your child pick out clothes for school and lay them out the night before. Decide together what they will have for snack and lunch. Make a game of getting up at the same time they will for school the next morning and going through the routine. Practice walking or driving to school (or discuss what your routine will be in homeschool.) Have your children practice writing their names on the top
of the paper. Talk about how they feel about starting school, including
anything they are excited or nervous about.
My final recommendation is a dvd rather than a book. We absolutely love the Let’s Go to School dvd by Leapfrog. It covers the anxiety associated with starting school, the way the routine plays out during the day and basic skills useful in kindergarten. Our kids have learned the months of the year based on the catchy song in the video.
Activities for Let’s Go To School:
Practice the calendar song from the video using a real calendar and turning the pages as you sing. Also, talk about the seasons with the calendar. Mark what day school starts on the calendar and count down the days. You can also do something on each day ten days before the school starts, such as ten jumping jacks, then nine hops followed by eight spins etc. until the day of school arrives. Or you could put number stickers from 10-1 in a countdown to the first day of school. Another idea would be to do an advent style calendar of school supplies, such as pencils ten days
before school starts, followed by glue for nine days and scissors etc. until the
night before when all supplies can be added to the backpack or desk.
More Preparing For School Tips from the Early Childhood Education Team:
Back to School Tips for Parents PLUS Visual Morning Chart! by The Preschool Toolbox Blog
Teaching Preschool at Home by Raising Lifelong Learners
Prepare a Hands-On Preschool at Home by Life Over C’s
*Shared on Kindergarten Planet
I didn't know they had a Leap Pad book – we just started watching the Letter Factory last week to help my middle guy remember his letters. Will check this one out.
We love to use books to help transition into anything that is new!
Hi Amanda.
My final recommendation was for a dvd rather than a book. It is a very worthwhile dvd, however, in this topic. Our kids have learned so much with the catchy tunes.
: 0 ) Theresa
Hi Growing Book by Book.
It is fun to use books for transitions (among other things)!
: 0 ) Theresa
Some of these books are new to us, like Yoko writes her name! I love the idea of using the translator to show them their name in Japanese! It would be a fun art activity to learn to draw their names in those beautiful characters!
Thank you for recommending these! My little guy is starting kindergarten soon and these are going to be so helpful!
Hi Clarissa.
That would be a fun art activity! I would have to learn to make the characters first before I could teach them but then we would both be learning and expanding. Love it!
: 0 ) Theresa
Hi Jennifer.
I am glad this is helpful. I wish your little guy the best in kindergarten!
: 0 ) Theresa
Awesome. We are making the transition this Fall, do these books will be super helpful. Thank you!
Great ideas! I'll have to save them for when we are ready to prep for kindergarten level. 🙂
We love Miss Bindergarten!!!
We love The Night Before Kindergarten. Got it on accident not paying attention to what I ordered. Once we read it I was forced to read it over and over again. We used it last year when we started dance class.
Great recommendations! We have many of the Leapfrog DVDs and love them. I will have to add that one to my Amazon shopping cart!
Hi Shann.
I am glad the list is helpful. I wish your family the best in the new transition.
: 0 ) Theresa
Thank you Kim.
: 0 ) Theresa
Hi Devany.
Miss Bindergarten is very funny. It is like reading two books in one when we talk about the pictures because there is so much going on!
: 0 ) Theresa
Hi Natasha.
That is a great idea to use it before any transition because that book really helps kids think about the steps in starting something new!
: 0 ) Theresa
Hi Danielle.
I think that one is definitely worth adding to your Amazon shopping cart. The teaching songs alone are well worth it! Our kids were singing the calendar song today on their way to and from swim lessons.
: 0 ) Theresa
These books sound great! I love the one about Yoko teaching the other kids to spell their names in Japanese 🙂 My daughter just finished kindergarten, and now its off to first grade (and homework)!
Hi Meredith.
Congratulations on your daughter's graduation from kindergarten and transition to first grade. That's very exciting! I hope she has a great year.
: 0 ) Theresa
Great books to read with your kids – we have our selection that match the UK school system and have been reading them as well.
Hi Cerys.
That is interesting. It is true that these books largely follow the US school system. I would love to see the UK equivalent books and compare.
My daughter loves Let's Go To School (especially the calendar song) even though we do homeschool. Books are definitely are a great tool to help little ones transition.
What a great list — thanks! Our little one is getting ready to start Kindergarten, so we'll be picking up some of these from the library this week!
I always love Mrs. Bindergarten! This year I'm buying 1st grade books (::sob::)
Thanks for sharing some fun ideas. I especially love the Miss Bindergarten activity – kids love using their names, and it's a great way to practice rhyming. Plus, I just love that book. 🙂
Ahhh these will be the books my daughter will be into next year! Crazy how fast time flies by!
Hi Mary Katherine.
Thank you. I think that series really appeals to children's love of rhyming.
: 0 ) Theresa
Hi CourtneyLynne.
It is amazing how fast it goes. Our kids have been enjoying these books and it seems like yesterday when they were learning their ABC's.
: 0 ) Theresa
What a great collection!!
The Miss Bindergarten book has been on my wish list for many moons now.. I really should just get it! lol
Hi Nicolette.
I think it would be a good investment. It has so many pictures that open up discussions of what is happening that it can be read again and again (with new things to discover).
: 0 ) Theresa
Hi Alecia.
I realized I missed your comment. I think the video has great things to offer for homeschool or school away from home (as you found). The learning songs work well for either situation. I did home preschool all last year and our kids loved learning from the dvd.
: 0 ) Theresa
Our kids love Miss Bindergarten! Rhyming words are funny for young kids and a great way to propel literacy! Great selection of books and accompanying activities!
Thank you Pschooltoolbox.
Miss Bindertarten is a fun series. Our kids are really into rhyming right now.
They will ask us regularly if various words rhyme (and are delighted when they do)!
: 0 ) Theresa