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Bluegrass Learning Services

Preparing your Child for School includes 23 video lessons, two print articles and a printable checklist of skills. You will learn:

  • What the school expects your child to know BEFORE the first day of school
  • Why those skills are important to your child’s future academic success
  • Activities to use with your child that are easy, fun and won’t disrupt your busy family schedule.

Learn how to help your child enter school ready for success.

After taking this class you will send your child to school ready to learn.

Read more

Preparing your Child for School includes 23 video lessons, two print articles and a printable checklist of skills. You will learn:

  • What the school expects your child to know BEFORE the first day of school
  • Why those skills are important to your child’s future academic success
  • Activities to use with your child that are easy, fun and won’t disrupt your busy family schedule.

Learn how to help your child enter school ready for success.

After taking this class you will send your child to school ready to learn.

” We evaluated school readiness tests from around the country. You will learn what’s tested, why your child must master the skills and concepts, and activities to help them quickly learn. It’s all designed to be simple for your family, and fun for your child.

Bobbie has more than 15 years of classroom teaching experience. The class is designed for busy parents and is also beneficial for any caregiver (grandparent or babysitter) who spends large amounts of time with children from birth-5 years of age.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Meet your instructor and learn how the course is structured.

Meet your instructor and learn what is included in this course.

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Section introduction to define "Academic and Cognitive" development

Teach your child how to improve long-term memory

Teach your child how to process and sequence information

Teach your child how to plan and solve problems

Section introduction

Teach your child how to sort items and recognize repeating patterns

Teach your child how to count in fun and painless ways.

Help your child understand higher level math concepts, beyond counting.

Begin to introduce basic arithmetic.

Define literacy and session introduction

Help your child begin to develop a strong foundation for reading

Begin teaching how to recognize written letters.

Helping your child understand the written word has meaning.

Introduction to speaking and listening.

Help your child improve their speech.

How to help your child develop a rich and robust vocabulary

Help your child speak well, so anyone can understand.

Learn the academic importance of physical development

Help your child develop the large muscle groups of the body.

Teaching your child lessons that will improve hand eye coordination and refine small muscle movements

Send your child to school with appropriate social and emotional development

Learn about your Pre-K options and course conclusion

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Designed for busy parents and caregivers, the course integrates easily into family life with activities that are both fun and simple for young children
Covers key areas of child development, including cognitive, mathematical, literacy, language, physical, social, and emotional skills, providing a holistic approach to school readiness
Includes quizzes to assess your child's progress in academic and cognitive development, mathematics, literacy, language development, and physical, social, and emotional skills
Taught by an instructor with over 15 years of classroom teaching experience, which may provide valuable insights and practical strategies for preparing children for school
Focuses on skills tested in school readiness assessments, which helps parents understand what schools expect and how to support their child's learning
Includes video lessons, print articles, and a printable checklist, which offers a multi-modal approach to learning and caters to different learning preferences

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Reviews summary

Practical school readiness guide for parents

According to students, this course is a positive and practical guide designed specifically for busy parents preparing their children for school. Learners appreciate that it covers key developmental areas, including academic skills, literacy, language, physical, and positive social and emotional development. Many highlight the practical activities and clear instruction as major strengths. While it provides a neutral solid foundation, some mention it might be warning too basic if they have already researched extensively. The included neutral resources like the printable checklist are considered very helpful.
Provides a broad introduction to readiness topics.
"It gives a solid overview of what schools look for."
"This course covered all the main bases I needed."
"A good starting point if you're new to this topic."
"It introduced me to areas I hadn't thought about."
Included checklist and articles are valuable.
"The printable checklist is fantastic and easy to use!"
"Liked having the extra articles to read for more info."
"Used the checklist to keep track of our progress effectively."
"The supplementary materials added extra value."
Addresses academic, social, and emotional development.
"I liked that it covered more than just academics, like social skills."
"It gave me perspective on the different skills needed, not just reading."
"Good to see the emotional readiness covered too."
"Helped me understand the full scope of school readiness."
Easy to understand lessons for busy schedules.
"The lessons were bite-sized and easy to follow."
"I appreciated how clearly the instructor explained everything."
"Perfect for parents who don't have a lot of free time."
"The concepts were explained simply and directly."
Offers actionable steps for parents to use.
"I found the activities easy to incorporate into our daily routine."
"The suggestions for games and interactions were really useful."
"These are practical things I can actually do with my child."
"Loved the simple, fun activities that don't feel like 'work'."
Can feel too basic for those with prior knowledge.
"As a former teacher, I already knew most of this content."
"I was hoping for more advanced strategies in certain areas."
"Felt a bit too much like just an introduction to the topics."
"If you've already done extensive reading, it might be repetitive."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Preparing Your Child for School with these activities:
Review Basic Counting Skills
Reinforce foundational counting skills to prepare your child for the mathematics section of the course.
Show steps
  • Practice counting objects around the house.
  • Use number flashcards for recognition.
  • Play counting games online or with physical manipulatives.
Review Letter Recognition
Strengthen your child's letter recognition skills to build a solid foundation for the literacy section of the course.
Show steps
  • Use alphabet flashcards and sing the alphabet song.
  • Read books together, pointing out letters.
  • Play letter-matching games.
Read 'The Whole-Brain Child'
Gain a deeper understanding of child development and emotional regulation to enhance your approach to the social and emotional development aspects of the course.
Show steps
  • Read the book and highlight key strategies.
  • Discuss the concepts with your partner or other parents.
  • Try implementing some of the strategies with your child.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Document Daily Activities
Track your child's progress in different areas of development to identify strengths and weaknesses, and tailor your approach based on real-time observations.
Show steps
  • Create a simple journal or spreadsheet.
  • Record daily activities and observations related to each developmental area.
  • Review the journal weekly to identify patterns and adjust activities.
Explore 'Montessori from the Start'
Learn about the Montessori method and how to apply its principles at home to support your child's development.
Show steps
  • Read the book and take notes on key concepts.
  • Identify areas where you can incorporate Montessori principles into your home.
  • Observe your child's reactions to the changes.
Create a School Readiness Checklist
Develop a personalized checklist based on the course content to track your child's progress and identify areas needing more attention.
Show steps
  • Review the course materials and identify key skills.
  • Create a checklist with specific, measurable goals.
  • Regularly assess your child's progress and update the checklist.
Share Knowledge with Other Parents
Reinforce your understanding of the course material by sharing your knowledge and experiences with other parents.
Show steps
  • Join online parenting forums or groups.
  • Share tips and strategies learned from the course.
  • Answer questions and offer support to other parents.

Career center

Learners who complete Preparing Your Child for School will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Stay-at-Home Parent
Being a Stay at Home Parent is the most important job. This course is designed specifically for a busy parent. With the help of this course, it will be simple for the family, and fun for the child to develop.
Nanny
A Nanny provides care and education for children in a family's home. Since this course is also beneficial for any caregiver who spends a large amount of time with children from birth to five years of age, it may be useful for a nanny. Learning activities can be fun and easily fit into the family's schedule.
Kindergarten Teacher
A Kindergarten Teacher plays a vital role in initiating children's formal education. A key part of the kindergarten teacher's role involves ensuring students possess fundamental skills for academic success. This course may help you understand how you will support your students as a teacher. The printable checklist of skills could be especially helpful.
Preschool Teacher
A Preschool Teacher fosters early childhood development through engaging activities and lessons. Preparing your child for school by understanding what skills are expected can greatly aid a preschool teacher in planning their curriculum and individualizing instruction. Providing activities that are easy and fun is useful to know as a preschool teacher. This course may help you understand what to do as a teacher.
Family Support Specialist
A Family Support Specialist works with families to promote child development and well-being. The course content, focused on preparing children for school and identifying key skills, may support a family support specialist in coaching parents and caregivers. They will learn activities that will be useful to the families.
Educational Therapist
An Educational Therapist works with children who have learning differences or disabilities. Understanding what schools expect children to know before starting school, as taught in this course, may help an educational therapist identify areas where a child needs support. This course provides information on how to improve a child's ability to process new information and solve problems.
Early Childhood Education Consultant
An Early Childhood Education Consultant advises schools and organizations on best practices in early learning. Understanding school readiness tests and the skills they assess, as taught in this course, may enable a consultant to provide more informed guidance. A consultant can use this course to help others. This course also may help one understand how to develop curriculum.
Elementary School Teacher
The Elementary School Teacher guides students in the early years of their educational journey. By understanding the skills and concepts emphasized in school readiness tests, an elementary school teacher can better support students transitioning from preschool or home environments and have a better understanding of their student's current knowledge. This course may help with that.
Curriculum Developer
A Curriculum Developer designs educational materials and programs for schools or educational companies. One with this role may find having an understanding of school readiness tests can inform the development of effective early childhood curricula. This course may help the curriculum developer to know what to focus on when building it.
Childcare Director
The Childcare Director oversees the operations and educational programs of a childcare facility. Knowing what schools expect of children before they enter can inform the director's decisions about curriculum and staff training. A childcare director benefits from the knowledge that this course offers. This course may help you understand how to develop the program.
Pediatric Occupational Therapist
A Pediatric Occupational Therapist helps children develop the skills they need to perform everyday tasks, including those related to school. Because this course contains information on physical development, a pediatric occupational therapist may find this course useful. The course discusses how to help children develop strong motor skills.
School Psychologist
The School Psychologist supports students' mental health and academic success. This course may help them understand the expectations and skills required for school readiness as this is valuable for assessing and supporting children's overall development, as well as understanding their challenges in school. The section on social and emotional development will also be useful.
Children's Librarian
A Children's Librarian develops and manages library programs and resources for young patrons. This course highlights the importance of literacy and language development, which are central to a children's librarian's work; the course's insights may inform storytime activities, reading recommendations, and literacy initiatives. The section on helping children develop a strong foundation for reading may be useful.
Children's Book Author
A Children's Book Author creates stories that engage and educate young readers. Understanding the developmental milestones and skills that schools emphasize, as covered in this course, may help a children's book author create age-appropriate and engaging content. The literacy section of the course might be a good place to focus.
Educational Policy Analyst
An Educational Policy Analyst researches and evaluates educational policies and programs. Knowledge of school readiness standards and the skills considered essential for early learning may inform an analyst's work in shaping effective early childhood education policies. Understanding school expectations may help an analyst create more impactful policies.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Preparing Your Child for School.
Introduces the Montessori method for early childhood education. It offers practical advice on creating a stimulating and supportive home environment for young children, which complements the course's focus on preparing children for school. It is more valuable as additional reading to broaden your understanding of early childhood development.

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