🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop
- 🤝 Social Competence — The ability to join a group, initiate friendship, negotiate conflicts, and cooperate toward a shared goal are the social skills that determine whether kindergarten is a joyful or miserable experience.
- 🌈 Growth Mindset — Children who enter kindergarten believing that effort leads to improvement approach the inevitable challenges of learning new skills with the persistence that makes challenges productive rather than threatening.
- 🏫 School Readiness — Activities that practice school-like expectations — sitting at a table, listening to instructions, transitioning between activities — directly prepare children for the structure of a kindergarten day.
- ✏️ Fine Motor & Writing Readiness — The fine motor skills developed through drawing, cutting, and manipulating small objects directly build the hand strength and pencil control that kindergarten writing demands.
As a preschooler prepares for kindergarten, parents should remember the needed health requirements. Healthy children learn better than those with health or dental problems.
Although specific requirements vary by location, preschoolers will generally need a school physical exam, a dental exam, and up-to-date immunizations.
Physical Exam
Physical examinations are important to your child's overall health. A school physical may not be as comprehensive as other well-child examinations. Expect the physician to check your child's weight, height, blood pressure, vision, hearing and immunization status. Although, some medical offices conduct only brief vision and hearing exams, referrals will be made if necessary. Make sure the office signs the physical form provided to you by your school.
Dental Exam
If you have not ever taken your child to the dentist, now is the time to do it. The dentist may simply conduct an exam. If your child is cooperative, the dental office may continue and clean your preschooler's teeth. Make sure any required work is completed; some dental offices will not sign the required form until your child's treatment is complete. Don't skip having any treatment complete just because your preschooler still has baby teeth. Decay on baby teeth can damage the structure of permanent teeth and cause life long dental problems.
Immunizations
Learn what immunizations are required in your state. Although every state has different requirements, most states require similar types of immunizations. These immunizations will include immunizations for Hepatitis B (Hep B); Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR); Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (DTaP); Haemophilus influenzae (HIB); Polio (IPV); Chicken Pox (Varicella); and possibly Pneumococcal (PPV). Some states additionally require the Hepatitis A (Hep A) and yearly influenza vaccinations. If a child has missed having specific time sensitive vaccinations, they won't be required to have the series. The HIB vaccine and PPV vaccine are two such time sensitive vaccinations. Most states offer exemptions for those children with specific medical needs or for families with religious beliefs that exclude vaccinations.
Parents should use the time before your preschooler transitions to kindergarten to prepare for school. Health issues make it difficult to learn while at school. Competing physical exams, dental exams, and immunizations will ensure your preschooler starts school healthy and ready to learn.
