5 Tips for Early School Success
My oldest child started kindergarten last year and my youngest starts preschool for the first time this year. Both represent big changes getting used to new schedules, longer days, new teachers/caregivers, and learning how to manage emotions and connect with peers. As a mom and occupational therapist, here are 5 strategies I recommend for early school success.
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1. Prepare for the transition with books.
My kids love books and they are a great way to help them discuss their thoughts and emotions. Some books we enjoy are:
- The Kissing Hand: This book discusses a special way that the parent/caregiver and child will hold each other in their hearts during the day. Before kindergarten, my son and I used to kiss each other’s palms like in the book so we could look at our hands and think of each other. Purchase your book here.
- The Night Before Preschool: This series also includes The Night Before Kindergarten as well as books that discuss other firsts and special events. This helps introduce the school schedule, meet the teacher and peers, and reunite with the parent/caregiver at the end of the day. Purchase your book here.
- The Pigeon Has to Go to School: I love books by Mo Willems and this is a great book to start talking about starting school, learning, and feeling a little scared. Purchase your book here.
- Llama Llama Misses Mama: This book discusses all the fun at school and then reuniting with Mom at the end. Purchase your book here.
2. Build a connection with the teacher.
When my oldest started preschool, we kept a note with the teacher’s picture on it that hung on our fridge. We talked about her and wondered about her interests and what it would be like in her classroom. This helps build connection and trust with the new teacher before the school year even begins.
3. Practice self-care routines.
Kids starting preschool often need to use the bathroom independently including getting pants up/down and those going into kindergarten will need to be able to wash their hands, open their lunch boxes, and put their coats on. These are skills that can be practiced at home, so your child feels more confident at school. We practiced zipping up a backpack and opening/closing a lunchbox.
Shoe tying is a lot trickier and may not be mastered until around the end of first grade depending on the child’s motor (physical) skills. We use Velcro shoes so our sons can be independent by taking them off and on.
Some children have sensory preferences with clothing (such as disliking certain fabrics or seams) and it’s important to help them pick out clothes that they will feel comfortable wearing.
4. Build motor skills.
Children are learning fine motor skills like cutting, coloring, scribbling, copying basic shapes and their names as well as completing puzzles, opening marker lids, zipping coats, and other fine motor skills that require strength and finger dexterity. The best way to prepare them for these activities is to improve strength, coordination,n and hand skills through play and even completing household tasks together.
- Household tasks: Cooking together such as kneading dough, rolling out cookies, dumping ingredients, and stirring improve strength and fine motor skills. Using a squeeze bottle to water plants improves hand strength and vacuuming can improve overall strength. For more information check out our post:
- Play at the playground: Hanging from the monkey bars, climbing ropes, jumping, and swinging all improve coordination and strength needed for tabletop tasks in the classroom. Check out some of our favorite playgrounds here:
- Fine motor games: Playing legos or other construction games, digging and using molds in the sand, painting, tearing and scrunching paper, and playing with Play-Doh target hand muscles and coordination. For more information check out our post:
5. Help prevent separation anxiety:
Focus on the next time you will see each other: Review the school schedule if you have it and then talk about what you will do when you pick your child up from school such as asking them if they want to go home or to the park.
Use a transition item: This can help them transition to school and remind them that you are thinking of them. This can be a kiss to the palm from the book The Kissing Hand, matching bracelets, a heart drawn on their palm, or a family picture.
Don’t dismiss how they are feeling: Saying “You’re okay” is confusing when their body is telling them they are stressed. Acknowledge that it’s hard. Understanding your body cues (emotions, hunger, thirst, etc) is called interoception.
For more information check out our post:
