Helping Your Child
Get Ready for School

with activities for children
from birth through age 5

Learning Begins Early

The road to success in school begins early. Good health, loving relationships, and opportunities to learn all help preschool children do well later in life. But many parents wonder, "How can I give these things to my child?"

This book is for all of you who have asked this question. It's for parents, grandparents, and others who want to know what to do to help young children get ready for school. Throughout the preschool years, you can do many simple things to help your child grow, develop, and have fun learning. This book:

• Describes the qualities and skills that youngsters need to get a good start in kindergarten;

• Tells what to expect from preschoolers each year from birth to age 5;

• Suggests easy activities that help children grow and develop; and

• Explains how to encourage enthusiasm toward school and teachers and make it easier for children to adjust to kindergarten.

Special sections in the back of the book tell how to monitor television viewing and find good programs; and explain how to find suitable child care.

Parents and caregivers are busy people. Most of us have many responsibilities: jobs outside the home, laundry to wash, and groceries to buy. When we are tired and under stress, it's often hard to feel we are being the best parents.

But however busy we may be, there are lots of things we can do to help our children get ready for school--little things that make a big difference. Many of them cost little or nothing and can be done as you go about your daily routines.

Mothers and fathers aren't the only people who help children get ready for school. Entire communities share this job. Businesses, schools, government agencies, and religious and civic organizations help out. So do day care providers, doctors and other health professionals, elected officials, relatives, and neighbors. But no one is more important than parents, because life's most basic lessons are learned early and at home. The first 5 years are when the groundwork for future development is laid.