I hope it goes without saying that you should read to your child every single day of their young lives, but in the months before preschool begins, it’s especially important to read them stories ABOUT kids going to preschool. Sometimes these are called “social stories” because they depict a certain social situation, problem, or resolution and teach a child how to handle it. Sometimes they are just good little fiction or non-fiction stories that give your kids a realistic example of what their preschool classroom might be like. It’s important to give your child these life-like experiences through books so that when they enter the preschool classroom, at least some of it will appear familiar to them. Here are a few book suggestions to get you started.
Maisy Goes to Preschool by Lucy Cousins (one of my kids’ ALL TIME faves!)
Rosie Goes to Preschool by Karen Katz
What to Expect at Preschool by Heidi Murkoff
Max and Millie Start School (Usborne Books – another huge fave of my kids!)
The Night Before Preschool by Amy Wummer
Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney
The transition to preschool can be hard for both mama and her little one, but as I’ve learned over the years, I can’t stop time no matter HOW much I want to. (My three stubborn kiddos have just REFUSED to stay little, and all of their preschool years are far behind me.) However, we can make these transitions easier on our child — and therefore easier on ourselves — by preparing them with these simple, practical preschool activities.
Please note that none of these preschool activities really have anything to do with academics!
Preschool is a time for your child to be learning letters, numbers, and colors. It’s MORE than ok if they don’t know all of that going in, but it’s not really ok if they can’t follow simple directions, flip out when they have to get messy, or have NO idea how to handle what is happening in the classroom. If you focus more on sensory and social goals in the months before they start preschool, you are giving them the tools they really need to be able to start learning and participating in a classroom setting.
Do you have a little one starting preschool in the fall? What sorts of things are you doing to prepare them? What sorts of preschool activities have worked well for you in the past when preparing your kids to start school? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.
