If your child is getting ready to start kindergarten, there are a number of things you can do to help them prepare. One of these things is to incorporate books about kindergarten into your normal reading routine. You don’t need to make a big deal about the books, just read them at bedtime like you would any other book and let the child slowly get used to the idea that they, just like every other kid, will someday start kindergarten.
There are lots of books that are short and entertaining and also prepare kids for the kindergarten experience. This is a short list and description of some of the books:
The Night Before Kindergarten This book gets good reviews. It is a story about not just the child’s experience but also the experience of the parents. When reading the book you see that the children are put into a strange situation that they aren’t sure about; you also see that the parents are sad to be away from the child. What makes this book great is that the teacher is nice and makes everything okay for both the kids and the parents. At the end of the first day, everybody is happy and loves kindergarten.
Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten This book is not by the same author as The Night Before Kindergarten but the two make a good pair to read. This book doesn’t deal with the tough emotions that the Night Before Kindergarten deals with; it’s just a lot of fun. This book uses imaginative rhyme schemes like the iguana Ian Lowe who cries, “I won’t go!” and little Vicki Densel who bites her pencil. The story is about the kindergarten teacher, Miss Bindergarten, that every child hopes for. It is also about the different children getting ready for school. All of the children are animals, and their names start with the first letter of that animal (for example, Adam is an alligator).
Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the 100th Day if Kindergarten Miss Bindergarten is such a wonderful character that she deserves a sequel. This book checks up on the Bindergarten kindergarten 100 days after the first day of school. It will be reassuring for young students to find out that the fun doesn’t stop after the first day of school. The premise of this book is that for the 100th day the “Bindergartners” are assigned to bring in one hundred full things. The book is creative and fun. While it doesn’t preach the merits of kindergarten, or explicitly tell children how to survive, it does show that kindergarten can be a lot of fun.
Look Out Kindergarten Here I Come This book is available in both English and Spanish, and it will help all kids prepare for kindergarten. The story is about Henry, a little mouse, and his first day of kindergarten. This book talks about a lot of things that will help reassure your kindergartner. It talks about being nervous, about making new friends, and about meeting the teacher.
Kindergarten Rocks! This book rocks. The main character is a little boy about ready to start kindergarten. In the book, he asks his older sister all of his questions and she answers them in a fun and honest way. The questions presented, like “What if I have to go # 2?”, are very real questions that your child might feel funny about asking you. Imagine your child’s relief when all of his or her questions get answered in the pages of this book. This is an excellent book to let children know exactly what to expect when they get to kindergarten.
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Thanks so much for this, because here is a way to alleviate children’s fears as they start school, as well as getting in some reading time with Mom or Dad. I’ll be posting it to my blog!
A useful list. Thank you!