This document provides tips for parents to help prepare their child for preschool. It suggests letting the child become more socially involved in the months before preschool by setting up play dates to help them learn sharing, taking turns, and playing with others. Parents can also help the child understand what to expect on the first day by playing school at home. The main goal of preparation should be making learning fun through positive activities that help the child acclimate to the new social environment of preschool.

1. Preparing a Child for Preschool
Even for those children who have been attending day care
facilities for a while, the new environment and sociality of
preschool can be a difficult challenge for any child. A parent
can help to prepare their child for the foreign adventure of
preschool by employing a few tips and tricks to help the
child acclimate to their new chapter of education.
Most of these tips and tricks have been suggested by
professional preschool teachers as well as by the United
States Department of Education’s Learning Partners program. However, it is important for a parent to
understand that the tips and tricks for helping their child prepare for preschool are only suggestions and
can be used or not used at the discretion of the parent.
Each Child is Different
Almost all children have their unique learning process and the same will be true of their personalized
preparation process. It will be up to the parent to determine which preparation strategies to use while
helping their child prepare for preschool.
But no matter what preparations the parent chooses to employ, it is important for a parent to help their
child prepare for and make the transition into school life and the abnormalities of preschool. The main
aspect to preparation that parents should strive to remember is that a majority of preparations for their
young child should be fun or enjoyable.
Kids will have plenty of time in the coming years to grow that empathetic disdain for school that is a
hallmark of junior high and high school. There is no need for preparations into preschool to be
indoctrination on the rigors of school work.
Preparing for Preschool
Instead, a parent can help their child to fully
prepare for preschool with a positive outlook
on going to school by making learning activities
fun for the child. One fun and great way for a
parent to prepare their child for preschool is by
letting the child become more involved socially
in the months before preschool begins.
Preschool and the following multiple years of a
child’s formal education will be a social gantlet

2. that can best be navigated by proper preparation. And while being social certainly is not a subject in
grade school, the child will be able to easily transition into the group setting of preschool if they are
exposed to some social situations in advance.
Finding a good preschool can be important as well. For example, if you are living in Long Island, then try
a Google search for Long Island Preschools to find which ones are close to you. After that, go and look
them over and get a feel if it is the right fit for your child. Another tip is to see if they have a day camp in
Long Island or wherever you may be to warm your child up for the experience at school.
A child can really only learn specific actions such as sharing, taking turns, and playing with other children
by having those experiences with their peers. Therefore, in order to begin preparations for the child’s
entry into preschool, a parent may wish to set up play dates with other children’s parents so that the
children will be able to learn a few social skills before entering the classroom.
A parent may also wish to let the child know what to expect on the first day of class by playing school at
home a time or two before the semester begins. By talking with the child and coming up with the best
ways possible to prepare the child for preschool, a parent will be able to allow their child a smoother
transition into preschool and the educational life.
Photo Credit: VinothChandar, Woodleywonderworks