As your child grows up and enters the stage of the school-aged child, you may start thinking about which school is best for them. Yes, your child may have finished Pre-K, but you still might be wondering if they are ready for Kindergarten.

To a certain extent, Pre-K helps prepare children for Kindergarten; however, Pre-K and Kindergarten still are very different in a variety of ways. If you are thinking of enrolling your child in Kindergarten, there are several things you should know to determine if they are ready for school.

Going to school is a major life event for children. It can be a scary and overwhelming life event. If you are thinking of enrolling your child in school, you have to make sure that they are ready.

Not Just Academics

Determining if your child is ready for school means more than deciding if your child is ready for the academic side of school. It is important to determine if your child has the right social, emotional, and behavioral skills to excel in school.

There is a concept that you should be familiar with “School Readiness.” You must find out if your child is ready for school. If a child is ready for school, they will probably have exhibited different skills and have surpassed several milestones.

If your child can communicate and get along with other children and adults, there is a high likelihood your child is ready for Kindergarten. Being potty-trained is also a milestone every child has to have reached before being able to start school.

There are different milestones a child needs to have met before enrolling in Kindergarten. Consider the following social, emotional, and behavioral milestones. Is your child able to take turns? Is your child able to follow directions? Is your child able to control emotions and impulses?

If they have met these milestones, your child is probably ready to start school.

Tips for Getting Your Child Ready for Kindergarten

There are things that you can do as a parent to help your child get ready for school. It is important to implement a strong routine at home, to help your child become familiar with a structure that will have to be followed once he or she starts school.

Make sure you establish a bedtime routine to help your child wake up on time and with energy to go to school. Also, make sure to establish an eating routine at home so that your child can eat within a specific time.

Talk to your child. You must let your child know what to expect on the first day of school. Tell your child, he or she will be in school to make friends and learn.

Is Your Child Ready for School?

Getting preschoolers ready for kindergarten is a major event. Before you enroll your child in school, you have to make sure your child is ready for everything that will come their way.

If you believe your child is ready, consider enrolling your child in Kindergarten.