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Kindergarten is an important milestone in a child%u2019s life and as parents, we want kids to be prepared. %u201cKindergarten is often the first-time children are given an opportunity to be independent,%u201d says Michaela Schuzer, a kindergarten teacher. %u201cKindergarten focuses on letters and letter sounds, but also on concepts like sharing and how to behave at school.%u201d A study from JAMA Pediatrics in February 2024 shows a worsening of kindergarten readiness during the COVID-19 pandemic, which we are still recovering from. Kindergarten teacher Paula Johnson agrees. %u201cMany, but not all, of those students were lacking in readiness skills due to not attending a preschool program from March 2020 and beyond,%u201d Johnson says. %u201cSome may have been academically prepared, but many were not ready socially or emotionally and lacked self-care skills.%u201d The key to success is to encourage independence by teaching children basic life skills. %u201cWe often don%u2019t think we need to teach basic life skills because they are second nature to us,%u201d says Schuzer. Supporting your child%u2019s learning at home will have a far-reaching impact.Schuzer and Johnson recommend practicing these skills before children start kindergarten %u2013 and to continue working on them throughout the year.Self-Help Skills Typical children ages 5%u20136 years are perfectly capable of learning basic personal care needed for school. Children entering kindewrgarten should know how to blow their noses, button their pants, fix jackets that have been turned inside-out, open snack packages and containers, and wipe their bottoms. %u201cWhen parents do not allow time to build these skills, children are already at a disadvantage compared to their peers,%u201d says Johnson. %u201cShoe tying Is My Child Ready forKindergarten?Important skills to teach at homeBy Pam Molnar32 alaska parent fall 2025 AlaskaParent.com