Many children enter kindergarten without the skills needed to be fully ready to participate in classroom learning. In fact, research reveals that 56 percent of children in the United States show challenges in at least one area of development when entering kindergarten. Being unprepared for kindergarten is associated with continued academic struggle throughout the school years.
Specifically, this line of research indicates that children entering kindergarten with more advanced math and literacy skills are more likely to show continued success in later grades and a lower likelihood of dropping out of high school. In addition, social and emotional skills, self-regulation , and attentional abilities when entering kindergarten are also important predictors of later success.
So what can you do, as a parent, to prepare your child for kindergarten? Self-regulation when entering kindergarten is also associated with improved reading and math skills, as well as enhanced general academic performance, later in elementary school. Provide ample age-appropriate play opportunities, set up playdates, and role-play social situations with your child.
Social skills when entering kindergarten have been found to be related to success as an adult, including the likelihood of graduating college and gaining employment. Find subjects they are interested in, and use these subjects to weave in math, reading, and science.
Praise your child for their efforts when they stick with a task. Research finds that math abilities in kindergarten are strongly predictive of later academic success.
