Is your child ready for preschool?
Author: Hailey Iwaasa
As children age, parents and caregivers start to consider different schools and options of education to help their children develop in the best way possible. If preschool is an option you are considering, below are some certain skills that are worth working on at home before your little one starts. Statistics have shown that in the past Alberta’s young children tend to struggle with common skills needed for success in school ((Early Child Development Mapping Project, 2014). Therefore, it remains important to properly prepare children for preschool. Whether these skills are important for your child's safety or just make your children’s educators day a bit easier, they are all worth practicing at home over the summer before your young one begins school.
Skill 1: Knowing their own first and last name, as well a caregiver’s first and last name.
As a parent, your child's safety remains a number one priority. Although teachers remain trained and highly important educators, in case of an emergency it is important for children to be able to identify themselves. Practice stating a child's full name with them in a way that is clearly understood by others. Another important step is making sure your young one knows your name. Having your child be able to give a trusted individual's name helps in case of those surprise emergencies.
Skill 2: Potty trained
It is important to make sure your child can go to the washroom by themselves, this includes wiping, flushing the toilet, and locking the door. To practice this, it is useful to find a stall door with a latch and practice sliding it across if your child can reach. Confidence with their bathroom skills will help your young one gain independence when nature calls.
Skill 3: Zip it up
Typically, educators will not have time to zip up every coat and jacket for recess or afterschool. It's worth practicing with zippers at home so your child could understand how to line up the ends, as well as problem solving in case the zipper doesn't always want to work the first time.
Skill 4: Lunch kit and water bottle
Another skill includes opening and closing a child’s water bottle or lunch kit. Since everyone's kit and bottle tend to be a bit different, the summer is the perfect time to practice. When packing your child's lunch, make sure to consciously include different types of Tupperware that a child can open. Try to ensure that common utensils like spoon and fork can be used independently by your children as well.
Skill 5: Shoes
Proper footwear allows your child to be comfortable, as well as run or walk during their day. It is good practice to make sure your child can put on their shoes and find them comfortable enough to leave on during most of the day. Whether it is slip-on, Velcro, or laces, practicing tightening their shoes allows them to get outside and play quicker.
Skill 6: Social skills
Simple social skills like talking to new kids and listening to others help immensely with your child integrating into the school system. This also includes being able to separate from their caregiver without intolerable anxiety. This can be worked on by having short playdates or time spent with trusted adults without the primary caregiver present. Parks or play programs can be a great way for children to find other children to interact with in a safe setting with caregivers nearby.
Skill 7: Turn taking and rules
Within school children quickly realize that the concept of turn taking happens frequently and it's important to practice this at home often. An easy way to demonstrate this is through family games or board games with your child. This shows the children how to follow the rules of the game, as well as wait patiently as each player takes their turn. Don't forget to also let your children lose occasionally. This helps them deal with loss and emotions in a good learning atmosphere, which can make it easier for them to understand at school. Build Brains team recommends the game “wait for it” or “Lips and Ears” to practice this skill.
Skill 8: Expressing emotion
In school, educators might not be able to as quickly read a child's facial expressions as a caregiver can. This is why it is important for children to be able to clearly articulate their feelings to others, such as in simple “I am ____” statements. This allows educators to better understand the situation and figure out a solution that's in your child's best interest. Emotional Charades Cards is a fun way to practice this.
Skill 9: Motor skill
Both gross and fine motor skills are important to ensure your child can balance, improve their strength, and work on their coordination. This remains incredibly useful for the entirety of their life. Everyday activities such as running, jumping, and kicking are ways to improve these skills. Parents can work on these skills with their kids by playing sports with them, learning how to ride a tricycle, or creating new worlds with building blocks. Keeping your littles ones active and busy is one of the best ways to build their motor skills
Skill 10: Creativity
Finally, is the skill of creativity. Children's imaginations are endless, and it's important for this imagination to be encouraged at home. Whether it's through dance, art, music, or more, caregivers can join their children in expressing their creativity in whatever way it means to them. At the same time this will foster closer social connection, help children gain confidence, and improve overall happiness. Building Brains team recommends pretend play as a good way to put this into practice.
Conclusion: All the 10 recommendations and skills covered can be incorporated into everyday life and can make your child's day at school just a little bit easier. Each skill has many ways to be accomplished and can be modified to better work for each household and family. The overall goal is to give caregivers a few different ways to prepare their young ones for preschool, as well as set them up for success later down the line. All the Building Brains games suggested can be accessed through our resources tab.
Building Brains Together Game curriculum: https://www.buildingbrains.ca/children
Emotional Charades Cards: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d71c868c0be1300012d173d/t/6320b1ba1d71af5ef1f89ed1/1663087035135/Emotional%2BCharades%2BCards.pdf
References:
LeapFrog. Preschool skills checklist. Retrieved online May 2026. https://www.leapfrog.com/en-us/learning-path/articles/preschool-skills-checklist
The Mentor Mom. Preschool readiness. Retrieved online May 2026. https://www.thementormomblog.com/blog/preschoolreadiness
Early Child Development Mapping Project (ECMap). (2014). Alberta results.https://www.ecmap.ca/findings-maps/alberta-results.html
Child Development. Kindergarten readiness. Retrieved online May 2026. https://childdevelopment.com.au/areas-of-concern/kindergarten-readiness/
Lethbridge Sport Council. Roving gyms and the EDI results. Retrieved online May 2026. https://lethbridgesportcouncil.ca/news/roving-gyms-and-the-edi-results
Adobe stock Image. https://stock.adobe.com/search?k=kids+in+classroom