If you have a child that is nearing the age when he or she is going to go to kindergarten, you are likely trying to make sure that he or she is as prepared as possible. Here are some tips for going about this as effectively as possible.

1. Find Out What Your Child Is Expected to Know

If you have chosen a kindergarten class for your child already, then you can contact the school or the teacher that your child is going to have a few months in advance and ask them what skills your child is expected to have by the time that he or she enters kindergarten. This is important because it will allow you to tailor your preparation efforts to the school specifically. This will help make your preparation efforts much more efficient.

2. Teach Letter and Number Identification Throughout the Day

If you don't know what school your child is going to attend yet, you can still help your child prepare by going over number and letter identification throughout the day. He or she will likely have an easier time in kindergarten if he or she can at least identify all of the letters of the alphabet and the basic numbers 0 through 9. You can teach letter and number identification by pointing out the letters on a sign and quizzing your child to see if he or she knows them or point to numbers while shopping and asking your child what it is. All of this will help your child become more familiar and confident with his or her letters and numbers. Finally, be sure that you are reading to your child and pointing at each word as you read it in order to help get your child more used to reading.

3. Socialize Your Child

Finally, make sure that your child is relatively socialized. This means that your child has interacted with other children his or her own age, as well as adults other than his or her parents. The reason for this is that it will make it easier for your child to make friends which will therefore increase his or her confidence and enjoyment of school. You can socialize your child by taking him or her to events at the library where there are other children, the playground, or getting involved in a play-group.

For more information, talk to the people running the education program in which you are trying to enter your child.