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Thinking about squeezing in some cram sessions on the ABCs and 123s before your little one sits down for circle time this fall? Turns out the skills one preschool teacher says are important for preschool readiness have nothing to do with academics.
by Rebecca Klein
We asked Donna DiPasquale, founder of the Parent/Tot program and a teacher at Fallston Community Pre-Kindergarten, to draw from almost two decades of experience, teaching tots and mentoring moms and dads, to give us her top preschool preparation tips.
Build Self-Care Skills
DiPasquale recognizes that in our rat race world, there’s the temptation to do things for your children in the name of saving time and struggle, such as putting on coats and shoes. However, she explains that practicing with your child at home translates to more time for fun activities at school.
“If we have to put on every coat, our day needs to stop 10 minutes early to get everyone ready to go home,” shares DiPasquale. She encourages parents to work with their children on putting on their own coats and shoes (she’s talking Velcro), drinking from a regular cup, and using the toilet. Once her students move beyond the Parent/Tot program into the 3-year-old group, toilet training is a requirement.
Practice Saying Bye-Bye
If you’ve never left your little one with a babysitter, trusted friend, or relative, DiPasquale suggests some confidence building dry runs. She notes there’s always the one child who really struggles with separation. “Sometimes, this child won’t get as much out of preschool because his time is spent adjusting to being in a different environment without mom,” she explains.
Work on Sharing
“Learning to share is huge,” notes DiPasquale, who reminds parents to have developmentally appropriate expectations and that it takes lots of practice. She suggests that parents use social settings to teach and reinforce sharing, so it’s not something children have to navigate through for the first time at school.
Learn to Sit Still
To help prepare for sitting still during classroom circle time and snacks, DiPasquale suggests doing focused activities on a regular basis with your child such as reading a book, making play dough together and other arts and crafts, and sitting at the table for snacks and meals. She cautions to steer clear of too much tube time, explaining TV can be a downfall. “Programming today is so entertaining and fast paced that in order for us to compete with that, sometimes we find that we must stand on our heads and spit nickels.”
Parents: Ignore Performance Pressure and Remove Your Supermom (or dad) Cape
Planning to bring in birthday cupcakes? Instead of feeling pressured to trek to the gourmet bakery for an elaborately decorated dozen, DiPasquale encourages baking with your child, “I would much rather see sloppy cupcakes that a child helped make than the store bought kind,” she says, adding participation makes children feel special.
She also urges parents to avoid a Supermom mentality, such as the need to give your child undivided attention 100-percent of the time. “Having some independent playtime at home creates a child who is more open to exploration and discovery in the classroom.”
She says she sees moms, in particular, who feel they are being evaluated as they would be in the corporate world and reminds that unlike a career, “Your job as a parent is to work yourself out of a job.”
