Related Preschool Book

The Kissing Hand tells the story of a little raccoon who does not want to go to school. His mother tells him all the reasons why he is going to love going to school and promises that she will be home waiting for him when school is over. She gives him a special kiss that will stay with him when he feels lonely at school.

Hi! I'm Rachel Lister, the Preschool Education writer at PreschoolRock.com. I live in Utah with my husband and two beautiful boys. When my oldest son was born, I quit my teaching job and opened a home daycare and preschool. I love to help preschoolers learn about the world around them. They make life interesting and I can't imagine doing anything different. If you have any ideas, suggestions or comments, feel free to contact me.

Helpful Tips for Parents

• Learning environments matter. A space with accessible books, puzzles, art supplies, and natural materials at child height encourages more learning than a child-proofed empty room.

• Curiosity is more valuable than knowledge. A curious child who doesn't know the answer will find it. A knowledgeable child who has lost curiosity will stop learning.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should my preschooler be reading before kindergarten?

Reading before kindergarten is possible for some children and developmentally not expected of most. The literacy skills that predict reading success — phonological awareness (hearing sounds in words), letter knowledge, print awareness, and vocabulary — are the appropriate focus before age 5. These skills are built through: reading aloud daily, nursery rhymes and songs, alphabet activities, and rich conversation. A preschooler who loves books, knows their letters, and has a large vocabulary is fully reading-ready, whether or not they can decode words independently.

Related reading: See also our alphabet activities and our read-aloud guide for more ideas on this topic.

🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop

• 👂 Listening & Attention — Activities that require children to listen carefully and follow directions build the voluntary auditory attention that classroom learning, reading comprehension, and conversation all require.
• 💬 Vocabulary Expansion — Every new concept, activity, and domain-specific term a child encounters expands their vocabulary — and children's vocabulary at kindergarten entry is the single strongest predictor of reading comprehension at age 10.
• 🎯 Self-Directed Learning — Learning that begins with the child's own question or interest produces the deepest understanding — and children who experience self-directed learning develop the intrinsic motivation that sustains learning throughout life.
• 🌐 World Knowledge — Background knowledge about the world dramatically accelerates reading comprehension — children who know more understand more of what they read — making every content-area learning experience a literacy investment.

Many preschoolers struggle with separation anxiety when they are dropped off at preschool. Preschool is often one of the first experiences that preschoolers have away from their parents or primary caregiver. Some preschoolers will scream or cry when they are dropped off at preschool. This could go on for weeks without any improvement. It does not mean that your preschooler is not enjoying preschool, although it is something to watch if it does not improve over time. It is very common for your preschooler to experience some separation anxiety when you leave.

Preschoolers who struggle with drop offs may be a little bit shy or they may simply be cautious when placed in new situations. It is scary for a preschooler to suddenly experience life away from their primary caregiver. Once they learn to trust their new teacher and get to know the other preschoolers in the class their fears will subside.

Be Confident

If your preschooler is nervous about being left at preschool, it is important for you to show that you are confident that you are leaving them in a safe place. If you are nervous about leaving your preschooler they will sense it and your anxiety will heighten their fear. If you need to, give yourself a few minutes to regroup before leaving the house. Cry about your baby growing up, stress about leaving them somewhere else, do whatever it is you need to do, but do not do it in front of your preschooler.

Smile and greet your preschooler's new teacher with confidence and show your preschooler that you trust that they will be cared for and protected while you are gone. When you hug your preschooler goodbye make sure that you are not locking them in a death grip. Give them a gentle hug and a smile.

Be Consistent

If you do the same thing every time you drop your preschooler off at preschooler they will learn to trust the routine. Give your preschooler a quick hug and a kiss, reassure them that you will be back soon to pick them up, and walk out the door. The longer you stay and talk the harder drop offs will be. Your preschooler will see an opportunity to talk you into staying or taking them with you and will act up. Leave it to the preschool teacher to engage your preschooler in an activity. This will encourage your preschooler to trust their preschool teacher and create a healthy bond between them.

Be Prepared for Relapses

Separation anxiety is not limited to the beginning of the school year. Any change in a preschoolers life such as a new sibling, a move, or stress at home, can trigger a new string of difficult preschool drop offs. Relapses are not likely to last as long as they did at first but they can be frustration when you have already been through it. Follow the same technique that you did the first time and eventually your preschooler will regain their confidence.