Tips For Preparing Children For Transition From Preschool The Kindergarten

Tonia Evans and Tamera Fair are the co-authors of The Purple Turtle Magical Series and have years of experience in early childhood education. PHOTO PROVIDED BY WITH AN EYE PR.
Tonia Evans and Tamera Fair are the co-authors of The Purple Turtle Magical Series and have years of experience in early childhood education. PHOTO PROVIDED BY WITH AN EYE PR.

Tips For Preparing Children For Transition From Preschool The Kindergarten

By Tia Carol Jones

Tamera Fair and Tonia Evans have years of experience in early childhood education. The pair met when Tonia decided she wanted to start a career in early childhood education and Tamera became her mentor. Tonia is set to open her own daycare center this year. They are also the co-authors of The Purple Turtle Magical Series. Evans and Fair have tips for parents that can help them prepare their children to go from preschool to kindergarten.

Fair said that parents should start to prepare their children for the transition at age 3. That way, it is not a culture shock for the children, coming from an intimate environment of a preschool to a school. She said preparedness can look like taking the children to the park at the school. She said to pave the way for it to be a smooth transition, parents should talk to their children and let them know they will have new teachers and make new friends. That way, they will know what to expect on the first day.

“Also, I think parents should take them to visit the school, inside the school, schools will allow that,” Fair said.

Fair added that parents should also enlist the preschool provider that the children attend, to talk positively about the transition to grade school. She said the academics will come, but the emotional transition is one to really focus on.

Evans said a preschool center prepares the children for the transition by establishing routines. One of those routines is to have a 9 a.m. cut off for accepting students. She said this is done because at schools, there is a certain time when children are considered late and will receive a tardy for not getting to class on time. 

At Premier Child Care Centers where Evans and Fair work, there is report card day. It is a way to get parents ready for what they will experience when the children go to kindergarten. The children also receive homework in their program.

“We teach them a grade up, so our preschoolers who transition from our programs actually are already kindergarten ready,” Evans said.

Evans added that those children who are in the preschool program can apply for the selective enrollment schools. She said the feedback they have received with this method of teaching has been positive and the students are prepared beyond the kindergarten level. Evans also suggests that parents arrange play dates for their children.

“Friendships start at preschool. So, if you start arranging those play dates, they won’t be shocked going into a new environment. For some reason kindergarten is where the social life begins,” Evans said. She said that parents should take time for their children.

Fair said that preschools and daycares give children the confidence that they can go in any environment and be accepted. The goal is to make sure there is a foundation of confidence in the children and their parents, with the hope it will result in the children’s success in kindergarten and throughout their grade school journey. To build the confidence, there are programs where the children learn how to memorize speeches and do public speaking through Christmas programs, Graduation programs and Black History programs.

“Even at the preschool level, our mantra is ‘college starts here, but so does the rest of your life.’ Those character building and skill building programs are really also confidence building activities,” Fair said.

For more information about “The Purple Turtle: Modi’s Magical Adventures,” visit https://thepurpleturtlemodismagicaladventures.com.


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