As the summer break comes to an end, think about ways to help your child prepare for their first day at a new School Readiness or Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) provider or their return to a preschool setting. Plan activities that get your child, whatever their age, thinking about their upcoming experience and ready to learn.
Infants and toddlers
- Visit the zoo or farm and tell your baby the name of each animal you see. Talk to your baby about the color ofthe animal and the sound the animal makes.
- Walk outside with your toddler, let them touch soft, green grass and observe the colors of the flowers as theylook around to explore.
- Play a game of Hide and Seek with your toddler. You can play this fun game at home or outside in your yard.
Preschoolers
- Locate a community park that has splash pads for your child to walk through. Ask your child to count thenumber of spaces where water comes out as they play and cool off.
- Sit outside and observe the stars in the sky together. Ask your child to count the stars they see.
- As you prepare for bedtime, read a book to your child, talk about memories created as a family and about new adventures they will have at school.
- Talk with your family and decide together on additional activities and outings.
Before the first day
- Make plans to visit the school to meet your child’s teacher and administrator. Call the school to find out when they will have their back-to-school orientation and plan to attend with your child.
- Read the registration information provided during your enrollment appointment.
- Practice the morning routine of preparing breakfast and driving to school.
- Talk to your child about how they feel about their upcoming new experience.
- Plan to be an active participant in your child’s education. Inquire about the parent teacher association,volunteer opportunities, how to sign up for field trips and ask the teacher what their preferred form ofcommunication is, which may be email or a classroom app.
- And on the first day, help soothe anxiety your child may feel by hugging them when you say goodbye.
Taking these kinds of steps before your child’s first day will help you both feel ready. Young children are resilient, curious and eager to learn. With your continued support they will adjust to their classroom environment, and you will feel confident that they are prepared for this exciting new step.
Visit the Division of Early Learning’s website to learn about the Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards (FELDS). The eight developmental domains contained in FELDS are the foundation for classroom instructional guidance that Florida teachers use to help children develop the skills they need to learn, graduate and succeed beginning with their first early learning experience.
