Kindergarten Prep

"Kindergarten: It Isn't What It Used to Be, getting your child ready for the positive experience of education" by Susan and Mitch Golant proved to be just what I was looking for as a parent currently obsessed with all things kindergarten.The fact that this "latest" edition was published in 1999 made me a bit skeptical from the start, but the book is actually still quite relevant (according to me.) It even mentions the internet! ( I coudn't remember if we even had the internet in 1999!)

This extremely quick but informative read covers many topics from Kindergarten readiness to testing children to learning styles. The authors pepper their writing with personal anecdotes that relate to their own experiences with their children. What I found most useful to parents in this book is a review of key skills (social and academic) that your child's preschool should be covering in order to prepare your child for kindergarten as well as descriptions of what a "good" kindergarten should look like. As I am realizing more and more, it is all about the teacher. It is not always possible to know who your child's teacher will be and if they will connect to your child, but this book gives parents some pointers on how to cross that bridge if needed.

Reading this book re-enforced my own beliefs around what I want my child's kindergarten experience to look like, and gave me many ideas on how I can help my child at home. This may be very useful for other parents in helping them to understand what the goals of kindergarten should be and how to find the best fit for your child.

After closing this book upon finishing, my first thought was "I want to be a kindergarten teacher!" I was so pumped up on the magic of kindergarten...about ten minutes later I realized there is no way that I would have the patience required. Thanks to those people who do!