Starting kindergarten is a big step for young children, and social-emotional skills play a key role in helping them adjust to the classroom environment. As a parent or caregiver, you can support your child’s school readiness by encouraging skills like cooperation, listening, and managing emotions in everyday activities. Here are some simple ways to help your child build these important skills before the first day of school.

Taking Turns and Sharing

Turn-taking and sharing are essential skills for classroom interactions. You can practice these at home by:

• Using verbal cues like “my turn, your turn” to help children understand the concept.
• Playing games that require turn-taking, like rolling a ball back and forth or playing board games.
• Engaging in cooperative activities like working on a puzzle together or coloring a picture as a team.

Listening and Following Directions

Active listening is important for learning and following classroom rules. Help your child strengthen their listening skills by:

• Playing games like “Simon Says” or “Freeze Dance” to practice following instructions.
• Encouraging whole-body listening by asking them to make eye contact, stay still, and focus on the speaker.
• Reading stories together and asking questions about the story to build listening comprehension.

Managing Big Feelings

Starting school can bring up big emotions! Teaching children ways to manage their feelings will help them feel more confident and secure. Try these strategies:

• Introduce deep breathing exercises—such as taking three slow, deep breaths—to help them calm down.
• Use simple phrases like “pause and think” to encourage problem-solving before reacting.
• Validate their emotions by saying things like, “I see that you’re feeling frustrated. Let’s find a way to help.”

Building Independence

Encouraging self-help skills will give your child the confidence to take care of their needs at school. Practice:

• Putting on and taking off jackets, shoes, and backpacks.
• Opening lunch containers or snack bags on their own.
• Cleaning up toys or setting the table to build responsibility.

The PRIDE Approach for Encouragement

Use the PRIDE approach to support your child’s social-emotional growth:

• Praise: Acknowledge their efforts (“Great job taking turns with your friend!”).
• Reflect: Repeat their words to show understanding (“You’re excited about school! It’s going to be fun!”).
• Imitate: Join in their activities to encourage connection.
• Describe: Narrate what they’re doing to build confidence (“I see you’re carefully stacking your blocks!”).
• Enthusiasm: Show excitement for their progress and achievements (“I’m so proud of you for trying something new!”).

By helping your child develop these social-emotional skills, you’re setting them up for a positive and successful transition to kindergarten. With a little practice and encouragement, they’ll be ready to take on this exciting new adventure!