IS YOUR BOY GOING TO KINDERGARTEN IN THE FALL?

Jeremy’s worried about going to kindergarten. It’s in a big brick building. Will he get lost? He likes the idea of riding the school bus, but how will he find his classroom when he gets off? He wonders if he’ll make friends. Will his teacher be nice to him?

Kindergarten is a new experience, even if your boy has been in preschool. He needs to feel comfortable, not fearful. His first impression can affect his attitude about school and his learning. This is especially important for boys.

There are some things you can do to make sure he gets the best start:

• Register him early so he can be comfortable with the school and the school has time to learn about him.

• Present kindergarten as an exciting new experience. Ask him what he thinks school will be like and correct any misunderstandings or fears.

• Talk about and visit his school, bus stop or walk the route to school. Let him meet his teacher.

• Encourage him to be independent. Give him opportunities to follow directions and do tasks on his own.

• Read books, discuss the story and the pictures. Make sure he has chances to use scissors, crayons, pencils, markers, paint and paper. Help him learn his ABCs, numbers and colors.

• Most of all, let him know you're confident that he will do well. And always, always, be positive about school.

Learn more about raising boys in my book Wired to Move: Facts and Strategies for Nurturing Boys in Early Childhood Settings, published by Gryphon House. Available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, gryphon house.com 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

TWO MRS. MORHARDS

My new book  Mrs. Morhard and the Boys is about the remarkable Mrs. Josephine Morhard, who created the first organized boys' baseball leagues in the midst of the Great Depression. Her achievement and her approach to boys' baseball were unique. To her baseball was more than a game. It was a tool to help boys grow up right, and she had distinct ideas on how to do just that. Josephine Morhard was the mother-in-law I barely knew. Decades later I found myself working on a project to help boys grow up right. It was the Boys' Project of Starting Point, a nonprofit early education agency. Using the latest research, I wrote  Wired to Move , a practical nonfiction book on how boys' brains work and how teachers and parents can use that understanding to help them become their best. I found that many of Josephine Morhard's Morhard's ideas stood the test of time. This blog combines the old and the new--ways to nurture young boys (and girls) along with some inspiring stor
Read more

REAL LIFE HEROES!

Image
Josephine Morhard was a rare divorced woman of her time. She had a young son whose father was an alcoholic and became brutal when he drank. She knew her son needed better male role models. Through her baseball leagues, she provided them, for him and for all the boys. Today, outside of their fathers, sports coaches are often the men boys most try to emulate. Much of a young child's learning comes from observing and imitating adults. Like Josephine, you want your child to have the right role models. Maybe it's a parent, brother, or sister, uncle or aunt--someone who teaches right from wrong, plays ball with them, helps with homework and shows the value of hard work and education. Or it could be a friend, neighbor, teacher or coach. Hopefully, many of them.    Having good role models is important for every child ,  especially for single moms or dads. 
Read more

BOYS NEED TO MOVE TO LEARN

In Josephine Morhard's time, kids played outside nearly every day, boys played baseball in the streets and most Moms were housewives.  It's different today, but boys still need the movement and exercise of those days. Young boys need to move to learn. Brain research shows us that. Making sure your young boy has lots of time to run and jump and explore--rather than sitting on the couch glued to video games--gets his brain moving, supports learning and fosters good behavior. Check out this article:  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/21/well/family/why-kids-shouldnt-sit-still-in-class.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&smvar=wkndbau%3Fsrc%3Dtwr&_r=0
Read more