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Boucher

Rosemary Boucher

Professor Corey

Journalism 321

February 21st, 2019

The Top 6 Things Your Toddler Should Know Before Starting Pre-School

One of the most nerve-wracking days for a parent is the day their children start school.

While pre-school is a great way to help prepare children for that first big step into kindergarten,

it can sometimes be tough to determine how much your child needs to learn and how much they

will learn. Stephanie Linden, a University of Rhode Island graduate with a BA in elementary

education and a current preschool assistant teacher, shared that, while your child will learn things

like colors and numbers at pre-school, there are some things children should be able to do with

little or no help before entering.

1 - How to Use the Bathroom

While most preschool teachers are equipped to deal with diapers and clean up accidents,

it can be a very time consuming thing that takes the teacher away from the other children. The

bathrooms are often in the corner of the room and make it hard to maintain the clear sight lines

that preschool teachers need in order to make sure no child gets left alone or hurt. However, your

child doesn’t need to be fully equipped to use the toilet alone before starting, as many teachers

understand it can be challenging, and are willing to work with your child to help them reach that

full independence in the bathroom.

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2 - How to Put on Their Own Shoes

Many preschool teacher will have the children take off their shoes for story time or

another fun activity on a carpet. However, when it’s time to go play outside, it can be hard to

contain the excitement while the teacher need to put on 15 pairs of shoes. One of the best ways to

help a child do this is through easy-to-use velcro straps and a sticker cut in-half with one side in

each shoe. This helps children identify which shoe goes on which foot by completing the image.

3 - How to Wash Their Hands and Use a Sink/Faucet

As most parents know, playtime can get messy, and it’s inevitable that kids will get their

hands dirty. Most classrooms are equipped with everything from markers to glue, and most

classes have a craft at least once a day. While those little hand turkeys maybe cute, they can get

messy so making sure your child knows how to use a sink and be able to wash their own hands

helps clean up be that much easier.

4 - How to Drink From a Standard Cup With/Without a Straw

Snack time tends to be a fan favorite of many kids, but sippy cups can be a hard thing to

keep track of and clean, both for your child and the teacher. Being able use the provided

disposable cups helps keep the aria clean and the juice contained. While the magic of straws has

eluded us all at one point, it is a helpful skill in the preschool classroom both for snack time and

for some arts and crafts.

5 - How to Play With Toys Without Putting Them in Their Mouth

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One of the bigger challenges of a preschool classroom is making sure that the place stays

clean and sanitary, and the thing that every kid will at some point encounter is the toys. While

there aren’t any things that your child can choke on in the classroom, it can still be important to

keep their drool in their mouth. Not only does it make the toy less fun to play with, but it can

also spread germs between children. All the toys are cleaned on a regular basis, but the less dirty

they become the easier it is to keep them that way.

6 - Have Some Exposure to Using Scissors, Glue, Crayons, and Playdoh

While all these objects are either nontoxic or of a safe variation, having some familiarity

with how these objects work before entering the classroom helps the teacher create better use

habits. All preschool teachers are equipped to teach each child how to use these objects,

including a pair of scissors with four finger holes so your child can cut along with the him/her.

Your child doesn’t necessarily need to be proficient with these items, but it’s a great way to make

sure your child is getting the most out of his/her pre-school experience.