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Helping Your Child Get Ready for School: Part 2
Good Health and Physical Well-Being
Young children need nutritious food, enough sleep, safe places to play, and regular medical care. These things help children get a good start in life and lessen the chances that they will later have serious health problems or trouble learning.
School-aged children can concentrate better in class if they eat nutritionally balanced meals. These should include breads, cereals, and other grain products; fruits; vegetables; meat, poultry, fish and alternatives (such as eggs and dried beans and peas); and milk, cheese, and yogurt. Try to avoid too many fats and sweets.
Preschoolers need opportunities to exercise and develop physical coordination. To learn to control large muscles, children need to throw balls, run, jump, climb, and dance to music. To learn to control small muscles, particularly in the hands and fingers, they need to colour with crayons, put together puzzles, use blunt-tipped scissors, and zip jackets. In kindergarten, they will build upon these skills.
Parents of youngsters with disabilities should see a doctor as soon as a problem is suspected. Early intervention can help these children develop to their full potential.
Social and Emotional Preparation
Young children are often very excited about entering school. But when they do, they can face an environment that’s different from what they are used to at home or even in preschool. When they start, they will need to work well in large groups and get along with new adults and other children. They will have to share the teacher’s attention with other youngsters. The classroom routines may also be different.
Most 5-year-olds do not start school with good social skills or much emotional maturity. These take time and practice to learn. However, children improve their chances for success in kindergarten if they have had opportunities to begin developing these qualities:
- Confidence - Children must learn to feel good about themselves and believe they can succeed. Confident children are more willing to attempt new tasks, and try again if they don’t succeed the first time.
- Independence - Children need to learn to do things for themselves.
- Motivation - Children must want to learn.
- Curiosity - Children are naturally curious and must remain so in order to get the most out of learning opportunities.
- Persistence - Children must learn to finish what they start.
- Cooperation - Children must be able to get along with others and learn to share and take turns.
- Self-control - Preschoolers must understand that some behaviors, such as hitting and biting, are inappropriate. They need to learn that there are good and bad ways to express anger.
- Empathy - Children must learn to have an interest in others and understand how others feel.
Parents help children develop these skills, far more than what nursery and good schools can.
Back | Part 2 | Next>> | Part 4
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