Prepare your child for school by helping him/her gain independence and responsibility in these ways.

• Allow your child to walk, perhaps holding your hand instead of being carried.

• Provide your child with clothing that are easy to manage independently and teach him/her to dress him/herself as much as possible.

• Label your child’s clothing and help him/her to recognize his/her name on them.

• Invite your child to work with you sharing cooking or other household responsibilities such as folding laundry and taking out the trash.

• Teach your child bathroom hygiene and the importance of hand-washing. Provide a stool if necessary.

• Encourage your child to use common courtesies, “please”, “thank you”, “excuse me”, etc.

• Encourage your child to make eye contact while speaking to others. Speak normally with your child and listen to assist in the development of communication skills.

• Prepare your child for going to school by assuring him/her it will be a pleasant place and that he/she will enjoy the activities there.

• Break dependent habits like bottles, pacifiers and sippy cups that are not available in the classrooms.

• Give your child some experiences of being away from you before school opens so that staying at school without you will be less difficult.

• Encourage your child to take care of his/her possessions and to respect the property and rights of others.

• Help your child to put away toys and other possessions. Make sure there is a special, easily accessible place for each of the possessions. Avoid toyboxes where toys are carelessly dumped. Limit the number of toys that you have available.

• Teach your child how to handle books properly.

• Share good literature with your child to develop language skills and the skill of listening.

• Explain to your child that the teachers are there to help him/her. Encourage your child to respect their authority as he/she does yours.

• Participate in parent educational opportunities, to learn more about Montessori education and how you can support your child and teacher in the home.