Getting your child ready for school

Ebony, August, 1996

The carnivals and summer festivals are over. The beaches are closed. And now it's time to get your child and, equally important, yourself, ready for the new school year.

In this instance, as in others, a good beginning is half the battle, and experts say parents can begin by getting a firm grasp of what supplies and skills their child's new grade level requires.

Parents of children about to enter school for the first time as well as those about to make the transition to middle school or junior high school can take a few practical steps early on to ensure a successful school year, experts say. Pre-school children, for instance, should already know how to button a shirt, lace up a shoe and color a picture before they enter a classroom. And before a child can be admitted into a pre-school program, parents must have their child's social security number, birth certificate and proof of immunization in hand.

Parents of youths about to make the leap from elementary school to the 6th or 7th grade, which typically signifies the beginning of middle or junior high school, must also get an early start. Mothers and fathers of these youngsters must keep a hefty supply of notebooks, calculators and folders on hand for homework. They must also learn to patiently and affectionately relate to their growing children who are sure to experience a number of ups and downs during this life stage.

The key, most experts say, is early preparation. Once parents decide to put their children in preschool, they must make sure that they have taken care of all of the preliminaries, health records included.

Some children win require medication or have other special needs during this first school year. Experts say parents should forewarn the preschool's director of any health condition and leave an ample supply of the doctor-prescribed medication at the center to be administered when needed.

Once parents have taken care of these preliminary items, they can then concentrate on preparing their children for their first formal educational experience. Basic skills, ranging from brushing teeth to playing with puzzles, should be mastered at this stage. In addition, parents are urged to hold regular conversations with their children, using sentences rather than monosyllabic baby talk to further expand their language and cognitive development.

Although preschool children don't require many school supplies - most are included in the price of the program parents do need to shop wisely for their children's clothing

"Children should wear extremely comfortable clothes, clothes that parents don't mind them getting dirty because part of preschool is socialization and that includes a lot of running, water play and sand play," says Dr. Ramona Clark, an associate professor of child development at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro. Dr. Clark and others also advise parents to buy shoes with rubber soles to prevent children from skidding or falling during playtime.

Preparing children mentally for preschool and purchasing the proper gear are just two of the major humps parents must get over. The greater challenge, experts say, is getting children used to being away from home. "You can't just say, `Well, I'm sorry, but I'm leaving,'" Dr. Clark tells parents. "That will traumatize children and cause them to feel deserted."

To minimize anxiety, Dr. Clark advises parents to take their toddlers to visit their prospective school several times before the first day of school. "Let them play on the equipment so that they can get familiar with their new surroundings and new teachers," she suggests.

Parents should also pick their children up from school on time. "The problem is that the child is left behind with the teacher, and all of the other children are gone," Dr. Clark says. "Its not so much for the benefit of the teacher, but these poor children are left wondering if someone will ever pick them up."

At no time, Dr. Clark says, should children age 5 and younger be allowed to walk to school alone. The optimal situation, she says, is for parents to take turns picking up their children, which gives both parents an opportunity to chat with the teacher about their children's progress.

The most important elements during this formative time, Dr. Clark says, are constant love and support. Parents, she says, should be excited and make a game out of their children's first school venture, which will help to put them at ease. "If we start fostering that security and trust when they're very young," Dr. Clark says, it will help to build their self-esteem throughout life."

Not only small tots, but also pubescent junior high schoolers need constant encouragement in order to adjust to life's awkward changes. Making the transition from childhood to young adulthood can be fightening. But in most cases, parents can make this transition smoother. "Parents need to know that children need them just as much at the middle school as they did at the elementary school level," says Dr. Robert R. Barner, a regional administrator for the Los Angeles Unified School District and a father of four.