For many, August marks the beginning of a new school year. For some, this August marks the beginning of an entire school career – some of you may be sending your children off to kindergarten.

In this country, increasing emphasis has been placed on readying children for kindergarten by teaching them–for example–their numbers and letters in preschool. However, at least one kindergarten teacher (based out of Woodland, CA) thinks there are a few more things your kindergartener should know before setting foot in the classroom.

Here are her tips for how to make sure your kindergartener is ready on the first day of school:

Teach Your Children:

• The difference between tattling (trying to get someone in trouble) and reporting (telling a teacher when someone could get hurt or when they cannot solve a problem themselves).
• To recognize when they will need to use the bathroom with a few minutes leeway so they have fewer accidents (pack an extra set of clothes to be kept in the backpack in case your child does have an accident).
• To take off jackets when warm, and put them on when cold (you would be surprised!).
• How to effectively blow their noses, cough into their elbow, and wash their hands well.
• How to identify his or her name, or the first letter of his or her name.
• About personal space.
• How to tie their shoes and zip their zippers.
• How to hold a pencil, cut with scissors, treat books with care, and throw garbage away in the trash can.

Also,

• Tell children when you pack them a home lunch or if you put papers in their backpack that need to be given to the teacher.
• And, label anything that might be left behind: hats, gloves, jackets, lunch pails, containers, backpack, etc.

Thank you for your tips, Nicole!

How did you (or will you) get your children ready for kindergarten?