Research from the Institute of Education Sciences shows that focusing on seven important areas helps young children get ready for school. These include learning how to understand and manage feelings, paying attention, solving problems, and learning about letters and numbers. When children develop these skills early, they’re more confident and ready to learn.
For example, helping your child recognize emotions—like being angry or frustrated—and finding ways to calm down can build strong social skills that last a lifetime. Playing games that ask your child to listen carefully and follow directions helps them focus and think flexibly. Talking about math during everyday activities, like snack time, helps children understand words like “bigger,” “smaller,” and “more,” which sets a strong foundation for future math learning.
Sharing books with your child is especially powerful. Reading together and talking about the story helps children learn new words and understand how stories work. Asking simple questions during reading times encourages kids to think deeply and express themselves, preparing them for school discussions and lessons.
Why This Matters
These early skills—understanding emotions, focusing attention, talking about ideas, and recognizing letters and numbers—are the building blocks for learning and confidence at school. Supporting your child in these areas helps ease the transition to elementary school and sets them up for success both in and out of the classroom.
Try This at Home
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Talk About Feelings: Read books that show characters with different emotions. Ask your child how they think the character feels and what they might do to stay calm.
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Play Simple Listening Games: Try “Red Light, Green Light” or “Simon Says” to help your child practice paying attention and following directions.
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Count and Compare During Snack Time: Use snack foods to talk about “more,” “less,” “bigger,” and “smaller.” For example, compare who has more crackers or bigger apple slices.
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Share Books Together: Read a favorite story multiple times. The first time, just enjoy the story. The next time, talk about new words or letters you see.
Source: Institute of Education Sciences. (2022). Preparing Young Children for School. U.S. Department of Education.