Oh boy, this is a scary thought, right?

Three of my four kiddos (pictured above) went to public kindergarten, my fourth child has been homeschooled since day one. Do you have a child going into kindergarten? I can remember being worried about my kids being ready. Are they ready academically, socially, and what should they know before going to kindergarten? Uggghhh! The stress! 

I am going to share with you what I wish someone told me back then. 

 It seems like there is more and more push for academics to infiltrate preschool and kindergarten. The reality is, there have been studies that the more you push reading fluency and math skills too early, the child can become frustrated and learning disorders can be misdiagnosed. 

So, bottom line is, no, your child does not need to know how to read before kindergarten. What you can do is encourage a love of books, not just learning how to read. Enjoy read-a-louds with your child, enjoy discussing the story and characters, enjoy grabbing this free, alphabet puzzle download, enjoy singing songs, and enjoy bedtime stories. All of these will help prepare your child for reading!

Remember, every child is different, every child learns differently (yes, even twins, like ours)! This next stage for your child will be full of wonder, excitement, learning, and growing! Nurture those human connections and there is no telling how far your child will grow! Less worry and more lovin'! 

Have fun, learn, and grow!