• About School Services
• School Consult Program
• Tutor Program
• DISD Hospital-Based Program
• Psychiatry School Program
• Tips for Starting School
• Getting Ready for Kindergarten
• Help Your Child Succeed in School
• Back-to-School Anxiety

Getting Ready for Kindergarten

Even though starting kindergarten is an exciting milestone in your child's life, it may cause a lot of anxiety for you and your child, too. As a parent, your attitude, values and behaviors toward school will have a major effect on your child.

Here are some tips to help you prepare your child for the first, big day and for doing well in school:

• Be sure your child gets enough sleep. Establish a bedtime routine. Children need at least 8-10 hours of sleep. Plan enough time in the morning to get ready so you and your child don't feel rushed.
• Each evening, set out clothes and other items needed for school the next day. Ask your child to decide what clothes he/she will wear. Letting children make choices helps foster brain development and builds confidence.
• Make a transportation plan. If your child walks to school, do it together a few times beforehand so he/she knows the route. If your child rides a school bus, review where the bus stop is located. Check with neighbors to see if their children attend the school and set up a chaperone plan for those who wait for the bus.
• Get to know the faculty at the school and their roles. If a problem arises you will know the teacher or staff person to contact.
• If your child seems apprehensive or anxious about starting school, talk about his/her concerns. Show understanding and offer encouragement. A positive, calm attitude can make a world of difference for your child.
• Read with your child. Go to the library together. Buy books for birthday gifts. Research shows that children whose parents read to them on a regular basis do better in school.

Is your child ready for kindergarten?
Here's a list of things most children starting school should be able to do:

• Count out loud from 1-20
• Count 10 objects correctly
• Read number symbols 0-10
• Speak in five-to six-word sentences
• Match letters and name letters in his/her name
• Tell stories
• Draw pictures (rather than just scribble)
• Compare objects by size
• Bounce and catch a ball (showing the hand-eye coordination necessary for reading and math)
• Listen to a story for at least five minutes
• Cope with being away from parents/caregivers
• Recognize rhyming sounds
• Trace basic shapes
• Read his or her own name