• Here are some things you can do to help your child prepare for Kindergarten:

     

               1. Read. Not only will it be more enjoyable for your child and not seen as a chore, but it will help him/her to recognize letters and words.

               2. Visit the library and let him/her choose books.

               3. Encourage your child to read signs, billboards, bumper stickers.

               4. When you write, let your child write too. Ask for his/her help in writing lists or tell him/her to write you a pretend check.

               5. Go through the alphabet one letter at a time, and have your child collect (or just name) items that start with that letter. Play letter "I spy" by saying, "I spy, with my little eye, something that begins with the letter H" and letting your child guess what you're thinking of.

               6. Have a themed snack or dinner: carrots, casserole, cake on "C" day for example.

               7. Create rhymes with your child and make them into silly songs. Read and recite nursery rhymes and Dr. Seuss books.

               8. Buy a couple of sets of plastic letter magnets (often found for cheap at the Dollar Store) and put them on the refrigerator. Have your child identify letters and spell his/her name.

               9. Have your child practice writing his/her name with chalk on the sidewalk, soap crayons in the bathtub, glittery crayons or markers, finger paints, or anything else that's fun.

              10. Pick out a few simple recipes and have your child help you in the kitchen by measuring and mixing. Talk about quantities, textures, tastes, and smells.

              11. Encourage him/her to sort things out, separating all the freezer-bound groceries from the rest, putting socks together while doing the laundry, or go the yummy route and let him/her sort a pack of Skittles or M&M's into piles of the same color.

              12. Refer to the calendar often. Keep track of the days of the week and the date, and make a countdown to special events.

              13. Play games with your child that involve counting, such as the classics, Chutes and Ladders and High-Ho Cherry-o, and card games such as Memory.

              14. At the grocery store, have him/her point out different shapes.

              15. Improve fine motor skills (and increase creativity) in several ways: Provide your child with an art box full of paper, markers, crayons, and scissors. Let your child use his/her imagination, while practicing those oh-so-important fine motor skills.