20 Ways on How to Help a Child Adjust to Kindergarten (2024)

Starting school is a big event in every child’s life. There are so many ways in how to help a child adjust to kindergarten, they just require some pre-planning so that you are aware of them. For parents, having their child start school is also a time of major change.

To make the transition to starting school easier for both yourself and your child, it’s a good idea to prepare for this milestone. 

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There’s no doubt that many little kids experience a whole range of emotions when they think about starting school.

After all, this may be the first time they will ever spend a significant amount of time away from their families.

It’s natural that your child may feel a little anxious about the changes starting school will bring.

My Child is Starting School Books

My favorite resources below for starting school are tried and tested, from story books, games and more.

Common Problems in Kindergarten

Your little one is about to trade in finger paints for pencils and naps for new friends! It’s a big step, and it’s totally normal to feel a few butterflies in your tummy (and maybe theirs too!).

This guide will help you understand some bumps that might come up on the road to kindergarten, and how to smooth them out together.

Saying Goodbye Blues

Waving goodbye at the door might lead to a waterfall of tears. This is separation anxiety, and it just means your child is used to having you around. Talk about school in a fun way, read stories about classrooms, and maybe even visit the school before the big day.

Sharing Maybe Isn’t Always Caring

Kindergarten is full of new friends, but sharing toys can be tricky. Help your child learn to take turns and play nicely. Set up playdates with future classmates so they can get used to sharing the fun.

The Wiggle Worm Woes

Sitting still for a long time can feel impossible for a 5-year-old. Fidgeting and wiggling are totally normal. Start with short activities like puzzles or coloring, to prepare them for longer sitting times in kinder, and slowly make them longer as they get the hang of focusing. Don’t forget to take breaks for wiggles and giggles in between!

These are just some of the little bumps your child might face in kindergarten. But there might be more that unexpectedly come up, just be sure to keep the communication open with your little one, so that they are able to tell you what is bothering them.

How to Help a Child Adjust to Kindergarten

However, the good news is that there are plenty of ways you can help make the transition easier for your child.

Keep reading to discover four ways to prepare your child for starting school:

1. Establish a Routine

Starting school can be a major shock to the system if your child isn’t in an established routine. I recommend social and emotional learning activities to help them identify their emotions and ways in which they can deal with them.

The Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center (ECLKC) states that young children feel more confident and secure when they have a consistent routine. A routine can also provide comfort during times of change. 

Sticking with a regular bedtime and waking routine noe can make life a lot easier when your child starts school. It will make waking at a set time to get ready for the school day a lot easier to adjust to.

2. Make Learning Fun

If your child views learning as a strict and dull experience, the chances are they won’t look forward to starting school. While it’s often helpful to teach your child a few key skills before they start school, it’s essential that you make active learning a stress-free, enjoyable activity.

All children have a learning style that suits them best. For example, kinesthetic or tactile learning styles.

Figuring out which learning style best suits your child can help you to make their first learning experiences positive.

Working with your child’s chosen learning style can make it much simpler to teach them basic skills before starting school, such as number recognition and writing their own name.

3. Encourage Independence

No one expects a young child to be fully independent when they start school. However, teaching your little one how to complete a few key tasks by themselves can be a great help.

Showing your child how to get dressed and getting them to help you tidy up toys is a great starting point to teach your child how to be independent.

This will help make completing tasks independently a lot less daunting when your child starts school.

4. Arrange a Visit

One final helpful way to prepare your child for starting school is to help them get familiar with the school itself.

Taking your child for a look around the school and letting them meet their teacher is an excellent way to help build their excitement about starting school.

If possible, arranging for your child to meet their new classmates for playdates can also be helpful to prepare them for school.

5. Get familiar with the teacher / peers

This is an optional one, but if you know your child is transitioning to kindergarten with some of their preschool friends, this is a good time to get in contact with some parents for a get together so that naturally, your child will feel more at home with some of their friends when they finally start school.

More ways to prepare kids for school

Here are some more ways to prepare kids for school, some unconventional and new age ways is to really engage with their peers and carers, these are some of the best ways to keep the anxiety low.

6. Practice Makes Perfect: Play pretend school at home! Take turns being the teacher and student. This helps your child get used to following directions and routines.

7. Story Time : Reading books about starting kindergarten can calm any jitters. Look for stories about making new friends, learning new things, and even overcoming separation anxiety.

8. The Potty Power Play: If your child isn’t quite potty-trained yet, don’t stress! Talk to their teacher and see if there are any resources available at school. In the meantime, practice at home with fun rewards.

9. The Independence Challenge: Encourage your child to dress themselves (with a little help if needed) and pack their own backpack with their lunchbox and water bottle. This builds confidence and independence.

10. The Lunchbox Lowdown: Let your child help you pack their lunchbox with healthy snacks they love. This way, they’ll be excited about lunchtime at school.

11. The Sleep Superhero: A well-rested child is a happy learner! Establish a regular bedtime routine so your child gets enough sleep each night to tackle the busy school day.

12. The “Listen Up!” Lesson: Play listening games at home like “Simon Says” or “Freeze Dance.” This helps your child learn to follow instructions, which is key in kindergarten.

13. The “Let’s Talk” Time: Talk to your child about their feelings and worries about kindergarten. Listen patiently and answer their questions honestly.

14. The Art Adventure: Arts and crafts are a great way to develop fine motor skills, which are important for activities like holding a crayon and writing.

15.“Let’s Be Social”: Plan playdates with future classmates or neighborhood kids. This helps your child get comfortable interacting with other children their age.

Getting Kids Ready for School

Some of these printables are a great way to get your child started on some activities to help them get familiar with basic skills in kindergarten.

• If you’d like to start your child with some easy letter knowledge, check out this mega alphabet starter bundle to guide you on your way.
• You could also start with some easy alphabet sensory bin ideas like this one here.
• Letter of the week activities are so much fun, and often starting off with one letter at a time, kids become more attune to the letter sound, letter formation and more. Check out letter of the week Aa here.
• Another fun activity we like doing, is working on body parts and learning all the body parts. There are games, printables and ideas here in this post.
• Prepare your kids to start school with these kindergarten readiness assessments and playful sheets to see what you will need to work on.

Overall, these tips can help transition your child into kindergarten, but nothing can prepare them very well other than time.

Sometimes, it does take some children more time to adjust, so just be patient, and keep trying new ways to make this transitional period a somewhat easier one for both of you.

Just don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t happen right away!