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w ith the first
day
of school right around the corner, parents are rushing around hurriedly, checking off their list of ?must dos? before the start of the new year. freshly sharpened pencils, blank notebook pages, starched uniforms, and new shoes become symbols of the clean slate of a new school year. for kindergarten
parents, everything is new. if you have a little one starting kindergarten, you may be asking yourself if you?ve done everything necessary to prepare your child
for her big first day. you?ve bought flashcards and lined paper for daily preparation at home to help her get ahead, but you still find yourself wondering if that?s enough. here?s what local kindergarten teachers want your child to know before the bell rings. skills your kindergartener needs to know by lauren labbé meher 1. narr ate your life simply by talking to your child, you?ve been preparing her for kindergarten. oral language skills and a robust vocabulary will help students communicate their thoughts and needs in class. jennifer nguyen, a kindergarten teacher at mayfair laboratory school, shares, ?avoid using ?baby talk.? it?s important to speak to your child like you would speak to any person.? by using the same language you would with your child as an adult, you expose her to an immense vocabulary, which greatly impacts her speaking skills. nguyen says, ?just narrate your life. describe everything you do as you are doing it and simply think out loud.? 2. read a book a day children start kindergarten at different levels. some may be able to read somewhat independently, while others may be more comfortable reading a few simple words. emily zeringue, a teacher at basis baton rouge charter school, says, ?children cannot learn to read properly without first hearing how words and sentences should sound.? by reading one story a day, you relieve any pressure your child may have about her reading level, while enhancing her ability to recognize and understand a variety of concepts. 3 8 b r p a r e n t s . c o m | a u g u s t 2 0 1 8
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