3 Things that *DO NOT* Prepare Kids for Kindergarten

The age-old question that preschool teachers are asked over and over: “How do you prepare kids for kindergarten?”. Sometimes it is asked by parents, other times administrators or other teachers. When kids are young, people get very caught up in making sure they are working toward more advanced skills rather than appreciating and enjoying the stage the child is at right now.

If we are appropriately supporting children in their development, they will be ready for kindergarten. Still, there is pressure to be proactive in showing how you’ll accomplish that. Here are 3 pitfalls to avoid:

#1 Sitting Still

A picture-perfect classroom is one in which the kids are seated, their eyes are on the teacher, and their mouths are quiet, right? Unfortunately, that’s the expectation that many people have and if one were to walk past a classroom full of noise and perceived chaos, a judgment would likely be made that the teacher has poor classroom management skills. There are certainly times and places for sitting and listening, but they should be short and spread out in a preschool classroom. When a young child is made to sit quietly for long stretches of time, so much of their brain power and focus is going toward staying sitting and staying quiet that it’s very difficult for them to actually listen. Simply put, sitting quietly ≠ learning.

#2 Worksheets

I get it–worksheets are a quick and simple way to offer exposure to some of the academic concepts we want to teach our students. But, they aren’t as effective as you might think they are. Worksheets have specific outcomes–right and wrong answers–and in preschool we should be focusing on process over product. We know that kids will be doing a significantly higher amount of writing in kindergarten than is expected in preschool, and many teachers use worksheets as writing practice because they aren’t sure how else to provide it. For preschoolers, the best writing practice comes in the form of strengthening fine and gross motor skills. Yes, they need access and opportunities for actual writing, but offer it in the form of play–clipboards in the dramatic play center, sidewalk chalk, nature journals–and provides LOTS of additional fine and gross motor activities to get those muscles in shape!

#3 Flashcards

I’m honestly a little dumbfounded how common it is to use flashcards in preschool classrooms, but I’ve seen it over and over and worked in places where they are a regular part of the lesson plan. While often masked within games, flashcards are little more than drilling information, usually letters, numbers, and sight words. The use of flashcards promotes memorization, not true learning, and memorized information is far less likely to be retained over the summer break between preschool and kindergarten. Plus, they are BORING!! Given the choice to do flashcards or play, the vast majority of kids are going to choose play, so why not deliver learning in the way they learn best?