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A Parents Role In Building Preschool Independence To Prepare For Kindergarten
Preschooler’s must have a certain level of independence to succeed in kindergarten. Parents play a key role in helping a preschooler to develop the skills needed to be independent. Parents must be involved with the process, provide assistance when necessary and set their preschooler up to be successful.
Be involved, but not too much.
Yes, preschoolers must learn to do things on their own, but an adult usually must set the environment up for the preschooler to do things safely. If your preschooler has never dressed themselves, buttons and zippers will probably not work. Select appropriate clothing to make it easier for her to dress. Provide a small pitcher of milk for your preschooler to pour his own drink, rather than expecting him to hold a heavy jug of milk.
Divide tasks into pieces.
Break the tasks you want your preschooler to accomplish into parts. For a preschooler unaccustomed to completing a task, steps will make it easier. Instead of telling a preschooler to get dressed; tell them, “Take off your pajamas. Pull your shirt over your head and put your arms in the sleeves. Pull on your jeans.” A preschooler then is given a different way to learn the process.
Use a Timer.
If a task is a large one, such as cleaning up a bedroom full of toys, set time limits. A preschooler does not want to do unpleasant tasks any more than their parents. If picking up toys is an issue, use a timer and explain what needs to be done while the timer is running. “Until the timer beeps, we will be picking up your blocks.” Setting a time limit gives a definite end to the project, so preschoolers will feel less overwhelmed.
Provide positive feedback.
Preschoolers love to do things themselves and they also love your positive attention. Notice when your preschooler has completed something independently. “John, you washed your hands by yourself. Good for you.” This does not mean heaping meaningless praise on a preschooler, but do let your preschooler know you saw what they have accomplished on their own.
Initially, it will take some effort on the parent’s part to build independence in their child. It can feel like more work to get a preschooler to finish things alone. As time passes, your preschooler will increase their competence and confidence level. Parents’ efforts will pay off when their preschooler is successful in the transition to kindergarten.
