University of California -- Spanish Broadcast and Media Services

Starting kindergarten is a unique experience in the life of children. It can be happy and scary at the same time.

For children, it may mean the first time away from home alone!

Parents might also worry and ask: Are my children ready? Remember that you can prepare your children for that first day.

Help your children learn their full names,their parents' names, their address, and phone number.

Teach your children to count using cars,toys, fruits, or other objects.

Help them learn shapes and colors. Use things found around the house, like books or their clothes.

Teach your children to recognize the parts of their body; what's left and what's right.

Help them understand concepts of time and distance, like: night and day, light and dark,big and small, near and far.

	Give them ahead start before going to kindergarten. Visit the school with them. Let them see the classroom and meet the teacher.

Encourage fun activities, like drawing and coloring. You'll be surprised what children can do with paper, crayons, glue and scissors.Read them a story. Talk with them about the story. Then have them tell you a story, any story.Play some joyful music and invite your children to dance and sing along .They'll probably do a lot of this inkindergarten.Show your children that you're a friendly and supportive teacher.
	Help your children feel that learning is fun!

Disclaimer and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not represent NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears by permission of the author and/or copyright holder. More

NASD Review: 04/2002

This material is based upon work supported by the Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under special project number 91-ESPN-1-5169.

Produced by the University of California's Spanish Broadcast and Media Services, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Myriam Grajales-Hall, coordinator.