By Faith Peppers
University of Georgia

Little Matthew Fudger, 2, stood shyly next to his mother and
peeked into his new classroom from the hallway of Presbyterian
Preschool and Kindergarten in Roswell, Ga. He wasn’t sure he
wanted to go in.

“Let’s go inside,” his mother Amy said. After a few minutes, he
finally did, making the giant leap into being a preschool kid.

A preschool program can prepare children to better play and
interact with others and solve problems, said Diane Bales, an
Extension child development specialist in the University of
Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences.

“Even very young children can learn a lot by playing with other
children,” she said. “And a positive preschool experience can
help children be excited about learning when they begin school.”

Getting ready

But that first day, or those first few weeks, can be a tough
adjustment for preschool children.

Here’s a basic checklist to gauge your child’s school-readiness.
Does your child:

• Sit quietly for short periods?
• Follow two- and three-step directions?
• Cooperate, take turns and occasionally solve disagreements
  with other children?
• Eat lunch, use the bathroom and dress himself independently?
• Explore his environment safely?
• Feel confident of his abilities?

If you answered yes to these questions, your child may be ready
for preschool, Bales said.

Practice

You can help your child practice school skills at home by:

• Practicing tying shoes, getting dressed and cleaning up after
  meals and playtime.
• Giving the child simple directions like setting the table or
  laying out clothes for the next day.

Focus on developing confidence, too, Bales said. Children who
feel good about themselves are less afraid to ask questions or
try to solve problems.

Knowing other children in the class may make the child feel
comfortable that first day. Find out who will be in your child’s
class and introduce them. Or gain an edge, as Amy Fudger did with
Matthew, by enrolling your child in a program that has children
he already knows.

Program choices

Not all preschool programs are the same. Mother’s-morning-out
programs tend to be less structured, with more play time, than
some preschool learning programs.

“The youngest children may do best in a less structured program,
where most of their time is spent in free play,” Bales said.

A shorter program, she said, may work better for a very young
child.

Older toddlers and preschoolers may be ready for a more
structured program that includes organized group activities. They
may be ready to spend a half day or full day at preschool.

“But even a more structured preschool program should include
plenty of time devoted to indoor and outdoor play,” Bales said.

Children should have chances to choose activities and explore on
their own or with other children, she said.

Getting an edge

School success can start before children leave home. Make sure
they’re rested, nourished and protected. Parents can provide
early learning at home through reading, singing, dancing or
playing.

“Young children learn best through hands-on experience,” she
said, “by seeing, doing, touching, feeling and acting things out.
Play truly is young children’s ‘work.’”

Children have more time for play if the television is off.

“Television can certainly be entertaining, and certain shows can
help children learn,” Bales said. “The problem is that television
is a passive activity. Children don’t have to do anything but sit
and watch.”

Parents should decide in advance what shows to watch, she said.
They should watch shows with the children and discuss what they
see together, and turn off the TV when shows are over.

Starting school is a big step for parents and children.

“Little steps can make starting school easier and a better
experience for children and parents,” Bales said.

(Faith Peppers is a news editor with the University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.)