The Secret to Kindergarten Readiness

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‘Kindergarten readiness’…it’s kind of a catch phrase that encompasses learning objectives such as sight words and counting and shape identification. It often leaves out what being ready for Kindergarten really should entail. The ability to work alongside peers, think creatively and imaginatively, and process information rather than recall it. A Kindergartener’s mind should be ready to accept information, think about it critically, and make sense of it. So how can you help ensure your not-so-little one is really ready for this? There are a few simple ways you can do it at home, here’s how. 

*This is a sponsored post on behalf of Dilly’s Tree House. All opinions expressed are my own.

Encourage Kindergarten Readiness at Home

Some of the best research in child development and education shows that kids under the age of 8 learn best through play and interactive, hands-on activities. So how can we ensure that through play, we are setting our preschoolers up for success in Kindergarten?

Play with them.

We know that kids learn best through play, but did you know that playing with a parent can set a child up for social success?

Get on the floor with your kids and play together. This is the perfect opportunity for you to talk about the different colors of your doll clothes and toy cars or to make a pretend meal and practice sharing, waiting and turn taking. In finding the opportunities through play to ‘teach’ everything you would do in a worksheet or with flash cards, you are creating lasting impressions that will go far beyond rote memory techniques.

Read books.

Learning sight words is now widely accepted as a Kindergarten standard. This is a lot to ask of a 5 year old. When reading with your child, focus on the components on a story, the beginning, middle and end. Ask you child to think critically about the story, hypothesizing about what will happen. Point along to the words as you read to help your child understand the flow of reading a book, and allow your child to pause and ask questions. 

Invest in early learning through play together.

Find an in home play-based early learning curriculum with an influence on creativity and imagination. Dilly’s Tree House is the perfect example of a service that allows you to work together with your child to think critically, solve problems and become an ‘Investigator’.

We recently had the opportunity to check out Dilly’s Tree House, and we have thoroughly enjoyed the space for free thought, play and creativity, not to mention the bonding! My 4 year old has very little interest in memorizing facts, and quite honestly it isn’t something I have pushed. She enjoys playing pretend, and thinking and imagining scenarios. This was the perfect fit for us!

Dilly’s Tree House taps into children’s curiosity and sense of wonder by connecting play, imagination, and content to the real world though a 7-month subscription in which your kids will become enthralled with the characters (not to mention the monthly mail delivery).

We spent about 15 minutes on a couple of separate occasions making puppets, reading books, and thinking critically about solving problems with the first box in the set. My 4 year old peeked through all of the boxes, and is begging to work ahead, meeting all of the characters and helping them solve problems. What a fun way to learn! {Bonus: Every time someone subscribes to Dilly’s Tree House, they will donate a special superhero pack to be distributed by an organization that supports at-risk children.}

>>Shop here to take 10% off your subscription<<

Want to take a quick peek inside the boxes with her? Here is a very quick 2 minute video that show you just how much content you receive, along with some of the goodies that your kids will love!

Play games.

Board games and dice games are some of the absolute best ways to work on early math and social skills. Just the act of counting dice and moving a game piece is great learning! And, it is exactly the type of learning that your soon to be Kindergartener needs to be successfully in the future.

Enjoy Getting Kindergarten-Ready!

I hope you find some tips here for helping your child really achieve Kindergarten readiness. Enjoy the play time together, not only are you having fun, but you are also learning!

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