Top Tips to Get Ready for Kindergarten

In kindergarten, a child’s natural curiosity and eagerness to learn are encouraged through purposeful, play-based activities. These activities teach foundational literacy and numeracy skills, while fostering social and emotional development. Kindergarten is a great way for your child to learn what school is like while having fun, making new friends, and becoming part of their larger community. Whether your child has experienced preschool or not, there are lots of things you can do this spring or summer to help them feel kindergarten-confident this fall!

1. Register your child for a FREE Calgary Public Library card. Get started with a Kindergarten Book Bag from your local Library, available in late April. There are no late fines and all Library programs are free.
   
   
2. Explore TumbleBook Library to listen and read along to animated story books (in English, French, and Spanish). It also lets you play online games and watch science videos from National Geographic. This and other great eResources for kids are FREE through the Digital Library.
   
   
3. Read books, snuggle, and sing together as much as you can.
   
   
4. Point out the words, numbers, and letters in the world around you, wherever you are — at the bus stop, in a store, or in the kitchen.
   
   
5. Speak, sing, read, and play together in your home language.
   
   
6. Use pencils for writing and practice cutting with child-safe scissors. Make art and draw often.
   
   
7. Help your child recognize their name in print.
   
   
8. Visit your school’s playground this summer to become familiar with the school grounds and entrances.
   
   
9. Encourage them to be a big helper at home by putting toys away and doing other simple tasks.
   
   
10. Let your child practise dressing themselves, including outdoor clothing. Shoes with Velcro are a great beginner shoe.
11. Let them practise opening and closing snack containers and using a water bottle.
    
    
12. Encourage your child to go to the bathroom independently and wash their hands on their own.
    
    
13. Practise going to bed early enough to get the recommended nine to eleven hours of sleep each night. Develop a routine of waking up with enough time you’ll need to get to school.
    
    
14. Allow twice as much time for free indoor and outdoor play as time spent on screens.
    
    
15. Talk about your child’s feelings around starting school. Assure them that it is normal to feel nervous and excited at the same time. Kindergarten is a big change for the whole family!

Ready to register for kindergarten?

Children entering kindergarten must turn five years old on or before December 31, 2021. All children must register through their designated school. For more detailed information, including where to find your child’s designated school and information for registering children who are not Canadian citizens, please visit:

Calgary Board of Education 

Calgary Catholic School District

Alberta Education’s My Child’s Learning: A Parent Resource (Kindergarten)

Check out these great reads to get excited and prepare for kindergarten! 

This blog post is published as part of The Kitchen Table Classroom: A Series to Support Learning from Home, a partnership with Edmonton Public Library. Visit calgarylibrary.ca/programs to register for the next live, online workshop in the series.