5 Things Parents Can Do To Help Their Preschoolers Fall In Love With School

As new parents, there’s no shortage of monumental firsts when it comes to your baby: Hearing their first coo, laughing at their first tiny giggle, intently watching their first wobbly steps. And while all of these milestones are important, nothing can quite prepare you for your child’s first day of preschool. *Cue the tears and break out the letterboard*

The beginning of their schooling journey is a monumental step in your kid’s development, and to help you start them off on the best foot possible, we spoke to Dr. Lauren Loquasto, senior vice president and chief academic officer at The Goddard School, a leading early childhood education provider that serves nearly 100,000 children in more than 650 schools across the country. From her vantage point, there are some pretty clear advantages to your kid having a positive connection with school. “When children enjoy what they are doing and where they are going, the entire family unit is strengthened,” Dr. Loquasto says. “Happy, contented children are more motivated, focused, and have greater attention spans.”

Dr. Loquasto goes on to say how education folds into the “it takes a village” adage. Forging a strong connection between home and school, and between school and home, is essential to a child’s learning and development since it allows for open conversations and a seamless sense of security.

Ahead, the five key things parents can do to help their kids foster a positive relationship with school.

1. Work With Your Child’s Teacher

Teachers are the backbone to the success of your child’s preschool days, so it’s important to build a positive relationship with them. Dr. Loquasto highly recommends taking the time to speak with your child’s teacher, sharing as many details about them as you’re comfortable with — because the more at ease you are with each other, the more seamlessly connected you’ll be to your child.

Create an open dialogue and check in to see if there’s anything you can do to support the teacher. “Equally important, share back with your child’s teacher successes, behaviors, and learnings you are seeing at home, show genuine gratitude for the time and attention your child’s teacher takes in your child, and be open to discuss any concerns or observations,” Dr. Loquasto says.

At The Goddard School, teachers are in constant communication with families via daily updates, regular progress reports and assessments. “By consistently updating families on milestones, achievements or concerns, we enable them to understand where their child might need additional support or how they can more effectively bring learning from the classroom into the home,” Dr Loquasto adds.

2. Prepare For Their First Day

It’s common for children to feel nervous or anxious about doing something for the very first time, which makes preparation key. Slowly ease them into this transition by beginning to talk to them about school, gradually adjusting their routine, and practicing some of the new things they’ll experience. For instance, if your kid needs to bring their lunch, start by packing a lunch at home and letting them unpack it at your kitchen table, just as they would at school with their new friends.

About a week or two before preschool starts, Dr. Loquasto recommends driving your child to the school to visually see where they’ll be going, focusing on aspects that will excite them. She also says, “At this point, parents should begin reading books about school, talking positively and specifically about the child’s new teacher and friends.”

3. Create A Routine For Drop-Offs

If your child is used to being at home or is switching from another school, it’s extremely common — and expected — to have initial separation anxiety. As stressful and upsetting as this is for parents, it’s always best to speak openly and positively about the school, the teacher, and the experience. To help children who might be scared, anxious, or sad at drop-off, it’s helpful to follow a straightforward routine. “Keep the steps simple and maintain them regardless of the child’s reaction. This consistency will help the child adjust more quickly and with less emotional distress,” says Dr. Loquasto.

4. Ask The Right Questions

“Did you have a good day?” While this question is all well and good, it will almost immediately end the conversation once answered with a simple yes or no response. Instead, ask your child open-ended questions to help give you insight into their social development, academic learning, and executive functioning skills. Dr. Loquasto recommends these:

• Who did you play with today?
• What was one new thing you learned today?
• What do you hope to do tomorrow at school?

5. Watch Out For Possible Red Flags

As parents, we all hope that our children have a positive relationship with school, but the reality is that not every child does. Fortunately, you can keep an eye out for signs that indicate you may need to step in to help course correct. “If the child continues to have extreme difficulty with drop-offs despite a strong, consistent morning routine for greater than a few weeks, or if the child’s reaction to going to school suddenly changes without identifiable reason, it’s best to speak with your child’s teacher and/or the school director to see if anything has changed in the classroom,” advises Dr. Loquasto.

Keep these five things in mind before sending your little one off to preschool, and you’ll be setting yourself and your family up for success. Happy first day!