Ready for Kindergarten

An Award-Winning Teacher's Plan
to Prepare Your Child for School

By Sharon Wilkins

Gold 'n' Honey Books (Questar), $9.99

ISBN 0880709189

Prepare Right Start for Preschoolers

Review by Meredith Siler

Getting off to a great start in school can set the tone for a child's success for years to come. By using Ready for Kindergarten as a guide, parents can give their children the confidence they need to succeed both academically and in their relationships with their peers. It also offers opportunities for parents to teach their children about God.

Every parent wants their child's first learning experiences to be positive. And what better way to insure that than to begin the learning process in the home. This delightful book offers moms the opportunity to be their child's first teacher by leading them through a variety of fun activities they can do together. Through arts and crafts, storytelling, and other hands-on projects, pre-schoolers develop the skills that they will be called upon to use in kindergarten and throughout their lives.

This attractive, easy-to-use book is organized with three projects per week for 52 weeks. The projects are developmentally appropriate and easy to finish in one sitting using common household items. Each "kid-friendly" task teaches a basic concept or skill in a creative way. Kids may find themselves gathering up the family's shoes to work on sorting skills or learning about shapes by finger-painting with pudding. There is also an inspirational quote for mom with every lesson and a space for jotting down special memories.

Author Sharon Wilkins has taught young children for over 24 years, and is the recipient of the Golden Apple Teaching Award. She has personally used and tested this collection of activities to be sure they are right for the pre-school child. Ready for Kindergarten is not only a valuable learning tool; it's also a terrific way for parents to spend time with their children.

Meredith Siler is a writer and the mother of two young children in Nashville, TN.