Whether you focus on one or explore them all, these seven tips will help your incoming kindergartener prepare for this important milestone and set the stage for a successful year.
Encourage your child to recognize and write the letters in their name. This is a wonderful primer for learning the ABCs and helps build a foundation for letter recognition.
For practice, the Scholastic Early Learners: Write and Wipe Learn to Write is a great tool: After your child traces the letters, wipe the book clean to start again!
Establishing a weekday reading routine is a wonderful way to foster a love of books and create special bonding moments.
Whether it’s a couple of pages before bed or a few minutes after dinner, reading together helps build lifelong reading habits. According to the Scholastic Kids and Family Report, 92 percent of parents value reading aloud as a special time with their child.
If your child has been going to bed a little later during summer, help them transition smoothly by adjusting bedtime routines to 15 minutes earlier in the days leading up to school.
Shape and color recognition are foundational kindergarten skills, but they don't need a workbook to take hold. Everyday moments are full of natural teaching opportunities. Sort laundry by color, spot shapes in street signs, or turn a walk around the block into a game of "find the circle." The goal is to help kids notice patterns in the world so the concepts feel discovered. It makes learning feel like an adventure and encourages kids to explore the world around them.
The engaging search-and-find I SPY books are a great way to tune into shapes and colors at home or on the go. For a bit more structure, Flash Cards: Colors & Shapes doubles up on practice with colorful, double-sided cards — handy for a quick round in the car or at the table.
Incorporate counting with objects found in your home, such as tallying the number of apples in a bowl or counting steps while walking up the stairs.
Use opportunities like tidying up toys to introduce concepts like “more” and “less”, to help kids grasp early math concepts. For additional support, you might ask, "Who has more blocks?" or "How many stuffed animals do we need to put away?"
There are plenty of counting books that teach the basics, but Scholastic Early Learners: Kindergarten Extra Big Skills Workbook: Math Practice has enough activities, and delightful illustrations, to keep kids learning through to graduation.
Kindergarten classrooms run on multi-step instructions. Things like, "hang up your backpack, grab your folder, and find your seat" — and following them is a skill kids build through practice. Classic games are an easy way to sneak in that practice at home. Simon Says and Red Light, Green Light both ask kids to listen carefully and act on more than one instruction at a time, while building the self-regulation to pause and wait their turn. Switch up the rules occasionally to keep them on their toes and stretch their listening a little further each time.
For more structured practice, the Scholastic Early Learners Pre-K Activity Pack includes activities that build the same direction-following muscle at a pace that your family can set themselves.
Storytime is a wonderful opportunity to practice listening and conversation skills. Read books together and encourage your child to retell parts of the story. Ask questions like, "What happened next?" or "Why do you think the character felt that way?"
You can also engage your child in conversations about their day, their feelings, and their interests to help them learn to listen and respond thoughtfully.
Hello, Hedgehog! #5: Can I Have a Turn? is a fun way to explain the concept of patience, waiting their turn to speak, and why these manners matter in the classroom.
To prepare your child for the separation that comes with school, start with short separations. Give kids the chance to spend time with a trusted family member or friend for brief periods and gradually increase the time apart. This helps build their confidence and comfort being away from home, giving them the reassurance they need to tackle their first day with confidence.
Help soothe nerves with Clifford Goes to Kindergarten, which finds Emily Elizabeth anxious about leaving home as well. This relatable story can help your child understand that their feelings are normal and that they, too, can overcome their fears.
Find more expert-approved kindergarten books, tips, and resources on how to prepare for school at our guide to getting ready for kindergarten.
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