Kindergarten The Parents example essay topic

After it is decided that a child is ready to enter kindergarten, there are a few things that the child should be introduced to. First, the child should know the name of the kindergarten teacher, the principals name, and if possible, where his / her kindergarten room is. Once the child begins school, he / she may become overwhelmed at first because of the new situation and the new people. Also, some children may not immediately like school, but with encouragement, they will adapt and hopefully begin to enjoy their very first year of school. Making friends in that very first year in the kindergarten is a very important issue associated with transition to school. At the age of five, kids are really sensitive to various aspects of their environment, they are used to day and night care they receive from their parents, and thus the process of making friends becomes very important to them.

Making friends is directly correlated to separating from parents; those kids who are easy going and enjoy new experiences will always be able to find other kids around them that they would like to hang out with while in the kindergarten. Finding new friends is the most efficient way to coop with separation from the parents, however kids might experience a lot of problem in the first stage of making friends. There are a lot of children who simply cannot make the first move, they are not confident enough to try to find new acquaintances in the new place where they have to go from their home, which used to be so cozy with parents taking care of them most of the time. Frequently, those kids become subjects of bullying and teasing, which makes the process of making friends even harder for them. Bullying occurs quite often both in kindergarten and primary school, and sometimes might become a great psychological blow to a kid. Some children are not able to stand up for themselves, they can not adapt to a new situation where there is no parents to support them and help in the hard moments.

Sensitive parents are a key to success for youngsters entering kindergarten, according to Mary McMullen, an Indiana University, Bloomington, education professor who specializes in early childhood education. "The beginning of the kindergarten school year, especially if it is in a setting new to the child, can be a difficult one for both these young children and their parents. In particular, parents need to think carefully about what they are asking of their children as they plan their school and child care arrangements for the upcoming year". (Brumberg, p. 39) McMullen points out that most of these youngsters are forced to deal with multiple transitions throughout the day, which can be stressful for five- and six-year-olds. Many go from some type of early morning child care to kindergarten; then to special art, music, or physical education classes; then after-school child care; and then home. A number of them are then shuttled off to sports events or other extracurricular activities.

Some even have the added stress of multiple living arrangements because of divorced parents. This can result in too many sets of expectations. "Research shows that sensitively responsive adults, who know, understand, and respond appropriately to a child, as well as consistency of care, are very important in terms of overall health and well-being. Parents need to ask themselves, 'With so many adults interacting with my child on a given day, do they really have a chance to get to know my child as an individual? Do they respond in a sensitive and caring way to my child?' " (Brumberg, p. 44) To keep stress levels down for the whole family and facilitate healthy growth and development of the children, McMullen advises parents to do what they can to ease the number of transitions and minimize the complications and "busyness" that kids are asked to face in their daily lives. Moreover, kindergartners need plenty of free choice time to explore and play.

"Children learn best when they engage in non stressful interactive play with peers and utilize all of these senses with stimulating materials". They need guidance from teachers and parents who can direct their development without "undue frustrations that may result in a pattern of failure and self-doubt". (Brumberg, p. 47) Experts say one of the biggest challenges for parents of kindergartners is balancing a hands-on approach with encouraging their child's independence. Its a big change from preschool to kindergarten, in preschool, parents are often encouraged to sit in on the child's class and participate with their children, but in kindergarten the parents must leave so the children can learn and grow on their own. (Neuman, p. 24) Children would have a more rewarding kindergarten experience, experts say, if parents would view it as the building block to future educational success. In kindergarten, pupils learn the foundations of reading, writing and arithmetic.

Everything begins with this grade. Among all the developmental issues associated with the transition to school, it is rather hard to choose at least a couple of the most important ones. A lot of parents are concerned about their child making friends and getting used to new surroundings, while many others are worried about the ability of their child to understand that now he / she simply has to become more responsible and try experiencing adult life. Although 5 year old kids do not understand all the difficulties perceived by their parents, they certainly do feel all the stresses of transition to school, which makes it quite troublesome for a considerable number of children. Although there are no best ways to prepare the children to transition to school, parents can substantially ease that process if they are able to support their children in the hard moments of uncertainty associated with completely new surroundings and people they have to meet every day. Transition to school can become the beginning of almost adult life for some of the kids, and for others it might become the beginning of worries and problems they never had to experience before.