Kindergarten GearUp

Be Yourself

• Teacher or School Administrator – Focus discussion on the importance of social and emotional independence. Discuss opportunities at home leading up to kindergarten that will encourage social independence (teaching children how to buckle their own belts, tie shoes, and open snacks, for example).
• Children’s Librarian – How do we provide opportunities as caregivers for children to master skills and situations that will promote emotional and social independence.

Be a Leader

• School board member, school administrator, or City Council member – Discuss the process that residents can use to contact them, express concerns, and get items on the agenda.
• Leader of local volunteer agency – Discuss different volunteer groups in the community, what they do, and ways to get involved.
• Children’s Librarian – Lead discussion on ways in which we can model and support leadership for our children.

Be a Neighbor

• Teacher or School Administrator – Focus discussion on school safety measures and how caregivers can prepare children with their “pick-up” person’s name and telephone number. They may also mention policy and procedures as it pertains to emergency cards, as well as memorizing caregivers’ name and telephone numbers in kindergarten and beyond.
• Children’s Librarian – Focus the discussion on children’s understanding and knowledge of where they live and telephone numbers.
• Police Officer/Crime Prevention Specialist – Focus discussion on awareness of one’s surroundings, safe routes to school, and bicycle safety.
• Firefighter – Focus discussion on fire and bicycle safety and when to call 911.

Be an Ally

• PFLAG Chapter Coordinator – Discuss what makes family and the concept of acceptance. Modeling allyship as an adult, have discussions at home on real life scenarios.
• Children’s Librarian – Focus the discussion on empathy, being a kind friend and standing up for others. Use books and storytelling to spread knowledge and representation.
• Social Justice Activist – Discuss what active listening is as opposed to listening to respond. Talking about how to support your friends, family and local neighborhood businesses.

Be Creative

• Teacher or Art Educator – Focus discussion on the value of using mistakes as learning opportunities and easy ways encourage creative problem solving.
• Children’s Librarian – Focus discussion on using imagination while reading books and in conversation.
• Local Artist – Focus discussion on the creative process and ways it can be incorporated into everyday life.

Be Curious

• Teacher or Science Educator – Focus discussion on critical thinking and easy ways to guide and foster children’s natural curiosity. Explain how the basics of the scientific method can be understood by young children.
• Children’s Librarian – Focus discussion on opportunities for independent learning and evaluating good sources of information.

Be Generous

• PTA representative – Discuss the ways in which families can support the school.
• School administrator or volunteer coordinator – Discuss ways in which families can get involved in volunteering or supporting the school.
• Children’s Librarian – Lead discussion on ways in which we can model and support cooperative behavior for our children.

Be Green

• Teacher or School Administrator – Focus discussion on the organization and structure of a kindergarten classroom. This should highlight the importance of cleaning up at home, why it is important to stay organized, and to clean up before starting another activity.
• Children’s Librarian – Focus the discussion on the importance of order, discipline, and organization on creating a space for learning. This is an important aspect of school readiness and a skill children should master.
• Park Ranger – Focus the discussion on the importance of respecting our environment and how we can encourage and assist children in developing a respect for nature and the environment.

Representative from:

• Local Environmental Group
• Waste Management
• Water District
• Community Garden Group

Focus the discussion on what the speaker does for the environment and how caregivers can teach children to help the environment and be good community members.

Be Healthy

• Teacher or School Administrator – Focus discussion on learning opportunities in life and the importance of setting up children for success with their school lunch (i.e., choosing healthy options, serving themselves, opening juice boxes, knowing their allergies).
• Children’s Librarian – Focus the discussion on combining movement with learning for children in different situations: counting steps walking downstairs, clapping songs in the car, and looking for colors while on a walk. This will aid children in making connections between things they know about the world and things they have learned. Using movement reinforces the learning process.

Be Kind

• Teacher or School Administrator – Focuses discussion on bullying and school policies regarding what is considered bullying. Also, a discussion about the best and most appropriate methods to communicate concerns with the teacher and school administration.
• School Counselor/Psychologist – Focuses discussion on emotional transition to kindergarten and how caregivers could prepare children for this change.
• Children’s Librarian – Discuss the Caregiver Handout section on tips for documenting and communicating school and classroom concerns.

Be Persistent

• Teacher or School Administrator – Focus discussion on why encouraging a growth mindset is important. Stress the advantages of tinkering with projects that don’t work the first time. Phrases that encourage a growth mindset are “I can see how hard you worked on that” or “Wow, I’m so impressed you kept trying until you got it right!” rather than “You’re so smart.”
• Children’s Librarian – How do we encourage a growth mindset during storytimes and activities to encourage caregivers and children to nurture a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset?

Be Polite

• Teacher or School Administrator – Focuses discussion on importance of reading and learning to read during the first years of school.
• Reading Teacher from Local Elementary School – Focuses discussion on tips and techniques to increase learning during at home “reading time.”
• Librarian – Focuses discussion on tips and techniques to increase learning during at home “reading time.” This could include tracking, open-ended questions, and/or previewing.

Be Prepared

• Teacher or School Administrator – Focuses discussion on importance of creating rituals that ease kids into a new situation. Should include both at-home and in-class rituals.
• Caregiver Staff Member – Focuses on how rituals and routines assist in facilitating homework, bedtime, and mornings in school success.
• Children’s Librarian – Focuses on how rituals and routines assist in calming and supporting school success. Could provide book recommendations that would assist in preparing children mentally for kindergarten and encourage independence.

Be Responsible

• Teacher or School Administrator – Focuses discussion on Common Core State Standards and their impact on learning in kindergarten.
• County Department of Education Administrator – Focuses discussion on Kindergarten State Standards and the how caregivers may assist in their children’s mastery.
• PTA Representative – Focuses discussion on caregiver involvement in elementary school and how the association advocates and supports learning and engagement at the local school.

Be Safe

• Teacher or School Administrator – Focuses discussion on the importance of balance in work time and free time and/or school safety precautions.
• Police Officer – Focuses discussion on personal safety, caregiver resources for community safety, and/or stranger danger.
• Crime Prevention Specialist – Focuses discussion on personal safety, caregiver resources for community safety, and/or stranger danger.
• Fire Fighter – Focuses discussion on fire safety at home and how to prepare for wildfires.

Tips

• Start with each caregiver saying their name and answering an icebreaker. This helps everyone learn each other’s names and a little something about the others.
  • Example icebreakers:
    • Tell us about your child.
    • What are you most looking forward to about your child beginning kindergarten?
    • What have you enjoyed most about Kindergarten Gear Up?
    • What is a good book you’ve recently read?
    • What kind of routines do you have with your child?
• Use the icebreaker to gather feedback about the program during the last lesson or two.
• When you reach out to potential speakers, send them the Caregiver Gear Up lesson plan so they know what they will be speaking on.
• If there are any local organizations that will fit potential speakers, reach out to them.
• Always print the discussion questions, even if you have a speaker. Some speakers may not have a presentation long enough, so the discussion questions will help fill extra time.
• Make sure the speakers know that they will be talking to the caregivers, not the children.