Many parents rave about their childs kindergarten teacher and just love everything about her and the way she teaches. However, you are finding that you have problems with your childs kindergarten teacher and you dont know how to address them. And, while it can be a challenge, the most important thing for you to do if you are having problems with your childs kindergarten teacher is to address them early on. Letting problems go for a period of time will never make them better and frequently it will make them worse.

Schedule a Conference
As soon as you realize you are having problems with your childs kindergarten teacher you should schedule a conference. Hopefully during the conference you and your childs teacher can talk through things and find a solution to the problem or problems. Most teachers want communication to be open and clear and for the parents to come to them with problems. However, if you avoid discussing the problem with your childs teacher she may never know a problem exists.

If after your first meeting things get better then you will know you did the right thing. However, if things continue on the same path you may need to schedule a second conference to find out where the miscommunication is and why the problems are continuing.

Talk to the Principal
If all communications with your childs teacher seem to fail at resolving the problem then you may need to go above her head and schedule a conference with the principal. In some cases you may want to talk with the principal alone and in other cases you may want to have the teacher present. It really depends on your preferences and what the problem is. At this point in time the principal should be able to help you resolve the problems. If the problems continue unresolved then perhaps the best plan for you is to move your child to another kindergarten class where problems wont overshadow the learning process.

Remember, also, that you can help resolve the problems just as much as the teacher can. So, do your best to make peace with the teacher and eliminate all problems. Sometimes if you simply let the teacher know that you want what is best for your child and that is why you are so focused on resolving the problems then you can both work together for a resolution. Other times you may need to go to the school board or take different actions.

As a parent of a small child you have a full schedule and there isnt that much free time for you to do a lot of things like meeting with your childs kindergarten teacher. So, many parents wonder how important this meeting actually is and whether they should really make the time for it. Some parents believe kindergarten is like playtime so there cant be too much to talk about with the childs teacher. However, today kindergarten is much more academic and strict than it was many years ago. Plus, your child will be in this teachers care all day for five days out of the week. Because of this you should want to talk to her and find out what she believes in, how she teaches the class, and how she treats the students.

Basically, a parent-teacher meeting for your kindergartener is just as important as a parent-teacher meeting for any other grade level. You need to get to know your childs teacher and ask all the questions you have about the school, the class curriculum, discipline, rules, and the like. If you dont talk to the teacher and something occurs you dont like it is really nobodys fault other than your own because you didnt take time to find out what kind of environment you were sending your child into.

So, pick up the phone and schedule a parent teacher meeting for your kindergartener. You can talk about the class, how much experience the teacher has, your childs abilities and his weaknesses, what he responds well to and what upsets him, and simply get to know one another. Doing this will help you feel more relaxed about sending your child to the first day of kindergarten because you are confident in the curriculum and the teacher. Also, if you get a bad vibe from the teacher when you meet her then you always have time to find a different school for your child.

Dont blow off a parent-teacher meeting with your childs kindergarten teacher simply because you dont have the time. Make the time and do it for yourself and especially for your child.

Many parents believe their child is too advanced for kindergarten simply because their child can read and write. However, this is not necessarily the case. In order to determine if your child is too advanced for kindergarten you will need to assess his motor skills, socialization skills, and even his IQ. Many smart children who start kindergarten with the skills they will learn in that grade actually do very well. Pushing your five your old to the next level just because you think he already knows what he will be taught in kindergarten is not necessarily the best idea.

The reason why is that there are many disadvantages to being placed a grade above where your child fits age wise. First of all, all of his friends will be older than him and will date, drive, and have other privileges before him. Besides this, your child might not be as emotionally advanced as these children or have the same level of motor skills. Your child may indeed be able to read, write, and perform math problems at the same level of first graders. But, can he also cut, draw, kick a ball, and sit still most of the day with writing activities like other first graders? You may not have considered these elements. And, they are just as important as knowing how to read or write.

Kindergarten is a wonderful grade because it teaches all of the basics, helps kids learn to socialize and make new friends, and enforces manners, good behavior, and fine motor skills development. Even if your child is ahead of his peers academic wise he will enjoy kindergarten and his self esteem will probably increase significantly if he already knows how to do most of the work. His teacher can give him some advanced work to do if he finishes early and is disruptive, but many times kids dont get bored when the work is not that challenging. They are just happy to do the work they already know how to do and feel proud of themselves for being smart.

Too often parents want to push their children to excel and by allowing them to skip a grade they may be doing more harm than good. Even if your child is too advanced for kindergarten work consider enrolling him and see how it goes. You might be surprised at the things he learns that he didnt already know not to mention his new friends. If you are really sure your child is way above kindergarten level you may want to find a more difficult school for him to attend that focuses on gifted children or you could consider home schooling. It is really up to you, just make sure you look at the whole picture and not just a part of it. Its your childs future and his happiness as well.

Parents worry about their children, in fact that is what parents do best! When your child is approaching kindergarten age your anxieties and worries will probably skyrocket because your childs life is about to change drastically. You want her to do well in school, make new friends, and stand up for herself. However, you worry about her being able to do all of these things especially since you wont be there to protect her! Fortunately, there are several things you can do to help your child make friends in kindergarten.

Introduction to Socialization
You can encourage lasting friendships for your child, even if he is shy, by introducing him to socialization. The key here is for you to take it slow and easy and never push your child into a situation where he feels uncomfortable. It takes time for a child to learn to socialize and the easier you go the easier it will be.

The best way to start is with a play date. Dont just choose any random kid, but preferably a child your child knows and responds well to. Set up a play date with this one child and make sure it is short. Too much time can result in problems and your child might not want to play with that child again. So, make it short and sweet. As your child begins opening up and having fun you can make play dates a little longer or even add an extra child or two to the mix.

Plan what will take place on the play date and make sure that the activities are ones your child likes and is good at. This means your child will have a high level of self confidence throughout the play date and will more likely enjoy playing. Also, ask your child what activity he wants to take part in and then plan it. Remember to have extra supplies so silly arguments are not started because the children have to share. Sharing is good, but it doesnt have to be part of the first play date!

As the parent you need to stay involved yet dont take control of the play date. You want the kids to learn to socialize on their own and they can do that with just a little of your guidance. Once the kids seem to have the hang of the play date step back and watch from afar.

Real Friendships
By introducing your child to socialization and play dates early on your child will be better prepared for kindergarten. He will know how to interact, how to make friends, and how to play together. Giving your child socialization skills early on is the most important thing for him to learn to build real friendships on his own once he arrives in kindergarten.

Believe it or not but kindergarten classrooms across the nation are outfitted with computers for the students use. This is amazing to many parents who remember their own kindergarten days that were full of story time and recess. Today, however, students are learning to use the computer as early as kindergarten and for many they arent exactly learning to use the computer but rather enhancing their already basic skills.

Today many families across the nation have computers. As a result kids are learning earlier and earlier how to work the computer. They know how to insert CDs into the CD-ROM, how to start games, and play. Not only are they learning basic computer skills but they are also learning from the educational games they are playing. So, it is only normal that in this day and age of technology that children would use the computer in kindergarten.

Of course, many children arrive in kindergarten and have never used a computer just as many arrive completely computer savvy. The result is the teacher teaches the students how to use the computer, turn it on and off, insert games, play them, and the like. The students who already know how to do these things dont really mind an overview and the ones that dont are anxious to learn.

Most of the time the computers are used in kindergarten classrooms to teach reading, writing, math, and basic technology. Kids love using the computer and feel very grown up. In addition, they are increasing their computer skills while learning valuable information. Many schools also use computers in the kindergarten classroom as part of daily stations. Kids could rotate stations and choose to play games on the computer or practice specific skills.

The rate of kindergarteners using computers in the classroom increases each and every year. And, as the country becomes more technologically advanced it seems this trend will continue for some time. More than likely the access to computers at this young age will benefit the children and help then develop an appreciation for computers as well as learn certain themes from different subjects more rapidly.

Many parents send their children to kindergarten and then are shocked by how strict the teacher is. Then there are other parents who send their child to kindergarten and are surprised at how lax the teacher is. The interesting thing is that parents who have children in the same classrooms can have these exact same feelings with the same level of discipline from the teacher. Some parents are incredibly strict and others incredibly lax, so obviously a teacher who is anything else will result in some criticism from certain parents. The most important question, however, is how strict should kindergarten teachers be? The answer is fairly strict.

Teachers will let you know that if children are given free reign and are not disciplined then it wont be long before they are acting out and taking advantage of the teacher. However if the teacher is too strict then this will stifle creative learning among the students and this is not optimal either. So the best option is for teachers to be strict enough to keep the kids in line and doing what they are supposed to be doing and lax enough to allow kids their creativity and fun. Of course, this is a very fine line that teachers must follow.

Additionally, some teachers are naturally strict or naturally easy going. If your child responds better to a certain type of person then you will be better off finding a teacher that reflects those characteristics. Of course, you may not have many options to choose from so you will need to prepare your child and also talk to your childs teacher.

Talking to the kindergarten teacher and finding out her teaching style and how strict she is will prepare you for the year and help you prepare your child. If you are a very strict parent and the teacher is much more easy going your child might be confused between behaviors that are acceptable at school and at home. The same goes for an incredibly easy going parent and a strict teacher. So, teachers and parents should get on the same page regarding discipline in order to help keep the child learning and enjoying school. Also, the fewer mixed signals there are the better.

Many parents believe kindergarten is just an introduction to school. Kids enjoy playtime, art, story time, and maybe even learn their colors and alphabet while they are at it. However, today there are many expectations for kindergarteners that are much stricter than when you probably attended kindergarten. In fact, today there is actually a set curriculum in kindergarten that must be followed and all children are expected to keep up. Most states have end of grade testing that tests the students to see if they learned all they were supposed to during their kindergarten year.

What is the Curriculum?
The kindergarten curriculum is fairly strict and as a parent of a new kindergartener you will probably be surprised with all that is expected. Parts of the curriculum include reading readiness, writing, math, science, social studies and more. Generally there are sections that the curriculum is broken into with all of the above topics being discussed within the theme.

For example, during the fall many times the topics of Halloween, Thanksgiving, pumpkins, and the like are intertwined in the kindergarten curriculum. This means stories will be read about Halloween and Thanksgiving and many of the subjects within the curriculum will include these topics. This continues with other holidays like Christmas, Valentines Day, Easter, and the like.

Also, children are taught about manners, classroom rules, the five senses, how to describe others, basic reading and writing skills, and more.

Today kindergarten includes lots of learning and is more like first grade was 15 years ago. That is why you might be surprised when your five year old comes home with homework you feel is advanced for a kindergartener. The homework really isnt over your childs head its just that you had a different experience in kindergarten and are surprised at the new expectations for such young children.

So, before you send your child off to kindergarten make sure you have evaluated the curriculum and know your childs capabilities. Its always nice to know what will be expected of your child at least a year before he/she is to begin kindergarten. That way you can focus on different topics and make sure your child is prepared. Also, you will know if your child isnt prepared for some reason and needs to be held back a year.

Dont let other parents influence you or try to tell you what to do. Instead, take a personalized approach and focus on your child, his/her potential and skills, and then see if he/she is prepared for kindergarten. You will have a happier and more successful child if he/she begins kindergarten when he/she is prepared rather than starting early and getting off to a bad start.

You are in a dilemma. There is an outstanding kindergarten teacher at one school that you would love for your child to attend his first year. However, the other grades arent that great in the school and you want to switch your child to a different school right after kindergarten. But, you are wondering if it is important for your child to stay in the same school from kindergarten on or if it really matters. Of course, there are benefits and drawbacks to this particular situation. The following discussion might help you see the benefits of staying in the same school.

Same Friends
Making new friends is important and socialization is key to helping your child fit in and develop lasting friendships. When your child goes to kindergarten he will immediately make new friends and probably even have a best friend and a particular group he enjoys playing with. This will lead to play dates throughout the year and your child will really develop some great friends. However, if you switch your child to a different school after kindergarten he will lose his friends and be forced to make new ones. Sometimes this transition is very difficult for kids especially after they already feel comfortable in a particular group and have gone through the phase of making new friends. Sending him to a new school where he has to start the process again may be too much for your child.

Accustomed to School
Another benefit to keeping your child at the same elementary school is that he is already accustomed to the school. He is familiar with the schools campus, knows where the lunchroom and bathrooms are, knows the rules, and he feels comfortable. Sending him to a new school means he will feel lost and will need to learn everything again. He will be starting from scratch.

Making the Decision
If you have the option of keeping your child in the same school from kindergarten on it is probably the best idea. There are some situations where it is not a good idea due to certain circumstances and if these arise you will know what they are. However, as long as your child is happy, has friends, and is learning then keeping him at the same school is a good idea. If you move or something of that nature then your child will have to switch schools and simply adjust. However, if your kid is already adjusted and happy then do your best to keep him at the same school. It will make the next school year easier and your child will more than likely excel.

Kindergarten used to be about play time and having fun. In fact, it was like a glorified babysitting service where you dropped your child off, they had fun, maybe learned a little bit, and eventually made it to first grade where they actually started to learn. Well, these days kindergarten is a lot different and children begin learning things in kindergarten that used to be first grade fair. Also, they begin having homework. Most of the time your child will have a basic homework task. This reinforces learning and also gets your child accustomed to work at home. In addition, it keeps parents on top of what their children are learning.

You might be amazed at some of the following homework tasks kindergarteners are assigned, but these are real homework assignments. Remember as well that in most cases kindergarteners will not have more than one homework task. This is because kindergarteners cannot focus their attention for too much time at once and also because giving too much homework would be overwhelming.

One popular kindergarten homework assignment is for the child to write all the names and ages of the people in his family. This reinforces the alphabet and writing as well as numbers. Kids will also have fun with this activity because they know most of the answers and finding out the rest is fun and easy.

Another kindergarten activity is to have a child tie his shoe 10 times. This might seem like a lot, but it gives the child a goal as well as allows him to practice. The child will sit down and tie his shoe 10 times, which encourages counting on his own. In addition, motor skills are increased and the child becomes an expert shoe tier!

Yet another activity is for the kindergartener to name five things that are larger than a truck. This will require the child to think about size relationships and what objects are actually larger than a truck. Sometimes this exercise is reversed and the child is asked to name five things smaller than a truck.

Children are sometimes asked to consider what they would buy if they won the lottery and to write it down. It is interesting to read what the children want to buy and it allows them to practice writing as well as to consider large amounts of money.

There are so many activities children in kindergarten are assigned that it is amazing. However, you shouldnt worry too much about your kindergartener having excess homework because this is rarely the case. In most situations your child will have a maximum of 15 minutes of homework and thats it. Sometime no homework will be assigned. Enjoy these light homework years because once your kindergartener reaches high school the homework load really increases!

In most states kindergarten is not mandatory and children may enter first grade as long as they are prepared to do so. However, most parents dont realize that kindergarten is a starting point for socialization, becoming accustomed to the school day, and learning the basics of reading, writing, math, and science. Some parents ask what the difference between 1st grade and kindergarten is anyway. The answer is that 1st grade picks up where kindergarten leaves off. They are not the same grade level and the same information is not repeated. First graders are expected to have a certain level of knowledge in order to begin the coursework for that grade.

Basically, kindergarten teaches children their alphabet, numbers, colors, sounds, shapes, and more. Social skills are developed and improved as well as reading and writing skills. Math is also introduced and basic concepts are taught and learned by the kindergarteners. By the end of the year many kindergarteners can read basic books and most can read simple sentences and write their names, addresses, and more. So, once the kindergartener reaches first grade they will not learn how to write their name anymore because they are already expected to know this. Instead, they will focus on learning new vocabulary and writing it. Eventually small narratives will be written and books will be read. The first grader will also have more difficult math problems to do and will study more science and social studies.

First grade may go over some of the basics taught in kindergarten but it is in no way a repeat of kindergarten. That is why it is so important for young children to attend kindergarten and to learn. By doing this they will prepare themselves for the first grade where academics has a higher focus than it did in kindergarten.

As a parent, if you are still unsure of the differences of kindergarten and first grade head to your nearest primary school and talk to the teachers, ask about the curriculum, and look at the two classrooms. You will immediately see there are some major differences and that your child will benefit significantly by attending kindergarten first and then heading on to the first grade.