Anne Muller's 5-year-old son, Theodore Blevins, is excited about kindergarten at "the big school" in Bloomington, Indiana. He's even looking forward to the accessories that go along with it, such as his backpack and special lunch bag.
Theodore doesn't fully understand that with the new school comes a whole new routine. It means waking early and rushing out the door for a full day of learning, five days a week. It means going from a summer of playing outside with friends to a regimented class schedule around strangers. Theodore and most of his classmates have spent some time in preschool or daycare, but the main emphasis there was on playing, not on learning.
The transition can be daunting.
"I think that's one of my major concerns: going from this, leisure and playgroups, to a full-time situation," Muller said.
Parents can do a lot to encourage a smooth transition, starting with the establishment of a bedtime routine before kindergarten. Kim Williams of Childs Elementary School in Bloomington has taught kindergarten for 20 years. She recommends parents limit how late kids can stay up so they can get enough sleep, starting about two weeks before school starts.
"I think kids come in not realizing it's a long day," Williams said.
She also recommends a little downtime before bed. Looking at books in bed is one good activity. She has found kids with that routine have an easier time settling into school.
Children should also avoid watching television and playing computer or video games before bed. According to the National Sleep Foundation, those things can lead to sleep disruptions and nightmares. Watching TV close to bedtime is associated with difficulty falling asleep and sleeping fewer hours.
Andrea Cohn, a school psychologist with the Howard County Public School System in Maryland, suggests that at least one week before school begins, parents establish a morning routine similar to what will be in place for school. It should include waking up at a specific time, getting dressed and being ready to leave in time.
Most schools have open houses before school starts. This gives kids a chance to meet teachers, see the building and socialize with classmates. It's a good way to alleviate the child's anxiety.
"I also encourage parents to go play at the playground at the elementary school if possible to familiarize their children with this highly preferred aspect of school," Cohn said.
Kindergarten isn't too early for parents to teach children good school habits that can follow them through their academic careers.
No. 1: Avoid doing their schoolwork for them. "Kids will ask a question, or will ask, 'Is this right?' The parents give the right answer," teacher Shirley Gromer said. Kids need to learn how and where to find answers, which is more important than getting answers right. Teach kids heading into kindergarten how to look things up in picture dictionaries.
No. 2: Be strict about bedtime. According to the National Sleep Foundation, children ages 5 to 12 need 10 to 11 hours of sleep a night. Poor sleep can cause mood swings, hyperactivity or other behavioral problems and cognitive problems that affect learning. According to an October 2007 "New York" magazine article by Po Bronson, sleep scientists found that losing just one hour of sleep appears to have an "exponential impact" on children because their brains are works in progress until age 21. Even simply shifting a bedtime, while still affording a child 10 or 11 hours, can hinder test performance.
Five-year-old Isabella Romain of Ellettsville, Indiana, will be going to kindergarten where she attended preschool, and she's looking forward to seeing her friends there. She's especially happy about a day without naptime.
"I think she really feels like she's going to be a big kid," said her mom, Mary Romain.
But along with big-kid perks come big-kid responsibilities, such as washing hands and fastening and unfastening clothes.
"Sometimes we have accidents just because we don't get it done fast enough," said Shirley Gromer, a kindergarten teacher at Childs Elementary School.
If kids aren't taught those basics at home, teachers have to help.
"It takes a lot of time, especially when you have 25 kids," Williams said.
In addition to teaching those skills, parents can help foster independence by giving kids the chance to accomplish a simple task within a certain amount of time. The task needs to be something age specific, such as taking out the trash or tidying a room. Completing a task without a parent's help builds self-esteem and helps the child get used to following directions.
Theodore, who is able to dress himself, likes to retrieve the mail from the mailbox every day. Muller says that's one of many small ways her son is developing independence.
"He also likes to help around the kitchen or the laundry room," she said.
Children entering kindergarten often are accustomed to being told several times to do something. In kindergarten, they must learn to immediately follow directions. That entails being able "to sit for five minutes without looking around [and] touching things," Gromer said. They also need to be ready to learn. Gromer says some parents aren't aware that kindergarten children are expected to be able to grasp fundamentals of writing, reading and simple math by the end of the school year.
Most kids arrive in her classroom with a good grasp of shapes and colors, but many cannot recognize all the letters or count to 20, which puts them at a disadvantage, says Gromer. Because her school takes children at various skill levels, teachers have to spend extra time catching some of them up. Parents can help prepare kids by pointing out numbers and letters in their everyday lives, such as on street signs and houses, and by reading to them daily.
And, while it sounds like a no-brainer, parents need to talk to their kids.
"So many kids are engaged in technology that they don't really know how to have conversations with people, and it seems like it affects everyone in some way," Williams said. "We're spending less one-on-one time with our kids. It affects attention span, communication skills, study skills."
Fear and anxiety are not uncommon in the early days of a new school year, and parents shouldn't overreact. Kids often judge how big a deal something is by watching their parents. Williams hopes some parents volunteer later in the school year, but says she doesn't like parents "in and out of the classroom" in the first nine weeks because it interferes with her bonding process with the children.
"If mom and dad are popping in and out and wanting to volunteer right from the get-go, those bonds are much harder to form," she said.
Those first nine weeks also give Williams a chance to get to know her students, who act differently when parents are around, she says. She asks that parents simply drop their children off with "a nice big hug and kiss -- then turn around and leave." If a child cries when a parent says goodbye, that usually lasts only a couple of minutes. She says it's distracting for the child if the parent lingers by the classroom door.
Ultimately, the adjustment period depends on the individual child. Gromer says it takes about six weeks for the average child to know the routine and feel part of a "classroom family." Williams says she sees a huge difference in comfort and confidence levels after winter break.
"They really feel a part of the classroom, and the friendships really start to form," she said.
When children exhibit a constant fear of school, they may have learning difficulties or psychological issues that need to be addressed. Cohn says if both the teacher and parent are concerned about how the child is adjusting, they can consult with the school psychologist or counselor.
Parents should inform teachers about the best way to contact them, whether that's by phone, email or a note in the child's backpack, says Cohn.
"I think the most important thing is for parents and teachers to maintain an open line of communication about how children are adapting to school," she said.