During the summer months before Kindergarten begins, there are several things you can do to help your child get ready for a full day of school.

1. Try to have your child go through the day without a nap. There is some quiet time in Kindergarten, but there is no nap time. It can be a long day and by working on this with your child over the summer, you can make the transition to Kindergarten go much smoother.

2. Attend story time at your public library and get a library card if eligible. This can benefit your child in many ways from learning to sit in a group to the importance of taking care of books.

3. Practice zipping/buttoning coats. In Kindergarten, we try to foster independence in all areas.

4. Create healthy habits. With all the talk about spreading flu virus, teach your child to wash their hands properly. Show them how to use anti-bacterial wipes and hand sanitizer safely.

5. Use flash cards to reinforce letter and numbers. Try to make this activity fun with your child - buy or make two sets and make it a memory match game.

6. Encourage a positive attitude towards school. Your child will follow you lead. If you are excited for them to start Kindergarten, they will be excited.

7. Attend summer activities at school, including classroom open house to ease any fears and show just how much fun school will be!

8. Talk with your child about being responsible and getting what they need. Make sure they understand that if they need something (a pencil, a spoon for snack, etc) that they need to ask for one. Also, encourage them to pack and unpack their own backpack. That will be one of their jobs in Kindergarten. It will make dismissal time so much less stressful for them if they know how to put their folder in their backpack.

9. Have your child practice opening items at home you might put in their lunch box for school. Adults at lunch time will help them, but sometimes it takes time for someone to get to them.

10. Practice writing their name with only first letter capitalized. If they become too comfortable with all capital letters when writing their name, it is even harder to get them to fix it later. Start out with the correct way and it will save them the frustration of having to transition.