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Start with a smilePlay, wonder and learn in Kindergarten

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Starting school is a big step for your child and your whole family. It’s a wonderful and exciting experience—it also means a big change for you and your child.

We want to help you get off to a great start by giving you and your child information that will help you prepare. This booklet gives you:

• an overview of the kindergarten program• information about how children learn and develop• suggestions for ways to help your child transition

for school • activities to help make the most of those important

learning opportunities at home

This booklet has many engaging activities for your child and family. Together, we will help your child feel confident and excited about starting school.

Start with a smilePlay, wonder and learn in Kindergarten

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Stimulating learning environment The kindergarten environment, both in the classroom and outdoors, is filled with enriching opportunities to play, wonder and learn. Throughout the day, children are encouraged to develop their creativity and imagination, to demonstrate early reading and writing behaviours, to design, build and construct, to draw and paint, to listen and talk, and to question and be curious. All of these skills are part of the important foundation for lifelong learning.

Variety of learning activities Children benefit from a variety of learning materials and experiences, including listening to stories, singing songs, chanting poems, problem solving, building, investigating and creating. Children learn through play. Each child’s emotional and social development, oral, reading, writing, math and science abilities are nurtured in rich, real-life contexts. Every day, the educators provide exciting play experiences. Children explore, discover, inquire and problem-solve together. The educators also provide intentional instruction to the large group, small groups and individual children, based on each child’s developmental learning stage. Children also participate in daily physical activity.

Play—how children learn and grow in “kinder-garden”

We asked kindergarten students what they learn in kindergarten. Here’s what they said:

• how to read• we learn about 2D and 3D shapes• how to make pictures with many things• to tidy up• to work out problems with friends• how to have fun

The word kindergarten comes from German and means “children’s garden.” It’s a place where your child will grow and learn. Here are some of the things you can expect in your child’s kindergarten class.

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Learning from each other Your child may make friends who speak an assortment of languages, are part of diverse cultures, and are at various stages in their development. The educators design a program that honours each child’s uniqueness—so everyone has a sense of belonging, and children will learn from each other.

Various learning styles Your child’s learning style is one of the factors the educators will assess and plan for during kindergarten. Make time to play with your child. Share your observations—your insights will help the educators understand your child’s learning preferences.

If your child is always active, for example, as many children are, here are some learning ideas that support active learning:

• Painting a brick wall or pavement with paint brushes of any size and using a bucket of water.

• After reading a story with your child, acting it out together.

• Spending time blowing and chasing bubbles.• Going for a walk in the neighbourhood to listen for

sounds and look for signs of nature. Collect found items that your child is interested in or curious about to investigate.

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Your child is the focus What ideas does your child have about going to kindergarten? Write down some of your child’s thoughts.

Ask your child to draw a picture of what they like to do.

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Through play, children learn academic skills such as reading, writing, math and science, problem-solving, creative thinking and essential social skills.

In Kindergarten, there are also many opportunities for playing alongside the educators and developing essential skills, such as:

• asking good questions• creating a learning plan• problem solving• identifying letters of the alphabet and their sounds• demonstrating numbers• illustrating science facts

Children write throughout the day, drawing, printing letters, words and numbers, and capturing their experiences.

Play is an important way of learning for your child. Play continues to be important in the early grades—and throughout school and life. Through play, children learn about the world and how it works, about other people and about themselves.

Children learn best through play

Children learn best through real-life experience. Playing, experimenting, doing things, taking on different roles, imagining, pretending—these are all important components of learning. Educators combine learning areas to create learning opportunities that resemble real life.

We asked kindergarten students what they like about kindergarten—here’s what they said:

• We have fun playing games.• We make up good ideas for

pictures and stories.• I like playing in the sand.• We listen to fun stories and poems.• We talk and sing.

“Play is our brain’s favourite way of learning.”

—Diane Ackerman

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Play is your child’s homework Watch your child at play—your observations will give you insights into how your child prefers to learn. All play—in fact, anything your child does—is a learning experience. Here are some ideas to help you make the most of those opportunities as you prepare for the start of school:

• Look for shapes together. You might say, “I see a blue square. Can you find it?” Your child can ask you to find the next item.

• Fill your sink with water. Let your child find objects that sink and float.

• Give you child opportunities to finger paint, draw, and cut and paste.

• Fill up drinking glasses with different levels of water. Use a spoon to tap the side of each glass. Notice the different tones. Help your child make observations about the sound and the level of water.

“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.”

—O. Fred Donaldson

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Ask your childAsk your child to draw or attach a picture of playing outside.

Write down your child’s words and ideas. Read them back together.

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Help your child prepare for the transition to kindergarten

Is my child ready for school? Of course, they are! Think about all the skills and abilities your child has developed already.

We asked kindergarten students what they needed to know when they came to school—here’s what they said:

• how to tidy up• how to share• how to be nice to others• how to listen

Your child:• is curious• is communicating with gestures, words and/or sounds• is developing preferences• is full of potential

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Create and write together. Provide your child with paper, pens, paints and materials to draw or write something.

Look at grocery flyers together. Talk about what your child points to and looks at. Notice and name the letters and numbers in the flyers that are near these items. Play a guessing game with the pictures—for example, “I am seeing a toy that you play with in the sand and it starts like ‘b’”.

Honour and celebrate your child’s reading interests. Your reading time doesn’t have to be long—5 to 10 minutes each day is great. Make reading a regular part of your day.

Talk with your child about things you see. Try to spend time each day talking with and listening to your child. Conversations in your first language or English build strong oral communication skills.

Play bingo and dominoes.

Play “store.” Put price tags on toys (under 20 cents) and let your child use pennies, nickels and dimes to pay for them. Then switch places—let your child be the shopkeeper.

Go for a walk in the neighbourhood. Look for numbers that are in the environment and listen to what your child is noticing. Follow their interests and curiosities as you talk about numbers, shapes, colours and everything that you see along the way.

Let your child help you follow a recipe to cook something. Measuring is math, cooking or baking is chemistry.

Measure the rain. Use a plastic jar with straight sides and a flat bottom and a marker. On the outside, mark “half full” and “full.” Keep track of the amount of rainfall.

Give your child a magnifying glass to inspect things up close—bugs, leaves, fabrics or anything your child is interested in.

Let your child become a bathtub scientist. Give your child different objects—together, predict which will float and which will sink, then test the predictions.

Your child will build on these skills during the early years of school. There are activities you can do with your child now to help prepare for kindergarten. Here are some ideas.

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Helpful hints

• Speak positively to your child and others about starting school.

• If possible, offer your child time to explore and design with crayons, markers, play dough or clay.

• Encourage and support your child with self-care skills such as fastening zippers and buttons, dressing themselves (educators will be there to help out when school starts).

• Visit and play in the school yard and playgrounds.

• Encourage and practise washroom routines like flushing, dressing and washing hands. Remember that you and your child will make great progress with toilet learning between now and the start of Kindergarten!

• Invite your child to select and help prepare snacks based on foods that they like to eat. Encourage them to practise opening and closing, and eating from the food containers that they will be using throughout the school day.

• Encourage your child to listen and notice the signs of their body for when they are hungry and thirsty.

Dress for (kindergarten) success

• In the course of an average kindergarten class, your child will jump, run, walk, bounce, stretch, crouch, bend and sit in a chair or on the floor. Choose clothes and footwear that will be comfortable during all of these activities.

• To foster independence, select clothes, jackets and shoes or boots that are easy to put on, take off and fasten.

• Kindergarten children learn best when they explore, discover and experiment—in other words, get messy. Choose clothes that are durable and easy to clean.

• Outdoor play is an essential part of the kindergarten program. Prepare outdoor clothing for all types of weather.

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Make the ‘big day’ a happy one

School is an exciting experience. At first, your child may be nervous about being away from home. Your attitude towards the start of school can help set a positive tone. If you do feel anxious or worried, try not to pass those feelings along to your child.

We asked kindergarten students what they would tell a child who is starting kindergarten. Here’s what they said:

• Kindergarten is fun.• You’ll make new friends.• There are blocks, toys, books and

lots of things to do.

You can help your child view the start of school and the new independence as an adventure and a challenge—this is easier if your child feels prepared and knows what to expect. Here are some ways you can help your child have a good experience during the first few days of school.

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Before the first day In the weeks leading up to school, practise walking to school or to the bus stop often, so it begins to feel like a familiar routine. If your child will ride the bus, attend the bus orientation session. You will find a letter about the session in the kindergarten package. Go over bus safety rules with your child a few times.

At least a week before school starts, begin to get your child and yourself used to the bedtime and wake-up schedule that will be required during school.

Get everything ready a day or two in advance.

The day before, let your child pick out what to wear on the first day of school. Let your child choose a favourite outfit.

Try to get your child—and yourself— off to bed a bit early so you’re both well rested in the morning.

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The first day Start the day with a smile. Get yourself and your child up early enough to eat a calm, unhurried breakfast. And keep things as normal as possible—if your child normally has cereal for breakfast, make cereal that morning.

When you drop off your child on the first day, make it quick, light and reassuring. Your child will be reassured by a warm hug and a reminder that you, or the usual caregiver, will be there after school is finished. If you or your child have feelings of anxiety and worry, you’re welcome to stay to help your child transition.

After school Plan a special dinner with your child’s favourites to celebrate the first day of school. Use the first day of school to start some routines that will help make sure the whole school year is great. One of these is to talk with your child every day about what happened at school—here are some questions that can help to start the discussion:

• Did the teacher read you a story today?• What did you do in school today that

you really liked?• Did you make a special friend?

Tell me about your friend. • What do you like best about your

teachers or about one of your friends in your classroom?

• What are you most looking forward to doing tomorrow?

Another good routine to get started on the first day of school is displaying your child’s learning and school creations. After you have looked and talked about it, display it on the fridge. Or create a “gallery” by hanging an inexpensive bulletin board in the hallway at your child’s eye level on which to tack your child’s art, writing and photographs. Get the art gallery started by having your child draw a picture about the first day of school.

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Ask your childAsk your child to draw a picture of something exciting about school.

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Documenting and sharing your child’s progress

Three times a year, you will receive a written report about your child’s progress in kindergarten.

Your child’s educators will continuously assess your child’s progress—here’s how:

• Observation—watching and talking with your child. For example, every day, the educators will observe and assess students’ language development.

• “Portfolios”—a showcase of your child’s learning development. The educators and your child work together to select examples of all types of learning that represent your child’s best work. Your child will have to explain why they picked each sample. As you, your child and the educators review the portfolio over time, it will be easy to see the progress made.

• Your child’s educator(s) will also use many strategies to assess your child’s learning. Each strategy gives the educators another part of the picture about how and what your child is learning. In addition to the three written reports, parents are encouraged to communicate with the educators about their child’s progress throughout the year.

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Your child’s developmental stages Young children go through many stages as they learn and grow. While assessing your child, the educators will consider your child’s stage of development. Understanding the stage of development will help the educators plan a learning program suited to your child’s needs. Children develop in their own way. In kindergarten:

• Children see the world differently from adults. Educators find out what each child’s emotional and social maturity is and ensure the learning program meets and supports the development of healthy emotions and positive social skills.

• Since children’s thinking at this age is closely tied to concrete objects and experience, they learn best by doing. Telling is not teaching. Educators help kindergarten children learn from their personal experiences.

• Since children make sense of their world through make-believe and play, much of their learning in kindergarten is play-based.

• Each child’s developmental stages are individual and unique to the child. They need time to practise, learn and grow. It is not a race.

• Since children learn from their direct experience in the here and now, the most important goal of kindergarten is to build relationships.

Record your child’s best learning in a “home portfolio” As you prepare for kindergarten, create a portfolio of your child’s best learning at home. Include photographs of your child engaged in learning—exploring, running, jumping, imagining, drawing, painting, creating. Keep it in a box or scrapbook. Here are some ideas about what you might include:

• drawings and paintings—along with a sentence or two in which your child describes the picture and why it’s an example of his or her “best” effort.

• a copy of “writing” your child has done—you can “translate” what it says (writing refers to scribbles, marks, dashes, lines, shapes, etc. and the meaning your child attaches to these markings).

• a story your child has told you.• a sample of your child’s attempt at

printing his or her name.• a photograph or drawing of

something your child did very well like putting toys away or helping you in the home or outside.

• a photograph of something your child planted or made.

• a list of your child’s favourite stories.

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Ask your childAsk your child to create an autograph. Print your child’s name in this space, then let your child practise copying it.

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