Stores all across the nation are filled with backpacks, crayons, pencils and other reminders that its almost time for school to start. Children everywhere are packing their backpacks, checking their pencil boxes and waiting for school to start. The wait for the first day to begin can be especially hard on kindergarten students and first day of school jitters abound, as these new students eagerly awaiting their first day of school with a mixture of fear, anticipation and excitement.
To help prepare their kindergarten child for the first day schools parents might find it helpful to read a few children’s books about the first day of kindergarten. Children’s books can often calm children’s fears by allowing them to relate to other children’s experience through the magic of reading . Reading a few good books about kindergarten can go along way to helping reducing any first day of school jitters your child may have. To help parents decide what books about starting kindergarten to read here is a list of my top ten books about the First day of school and what to expect in kindergarten.
Top Ten Books About Starting Kindergarten
The Night Before Kindergarten written by Natasha Wing and illustrated by Julie Durrell
This book about starting Kindergarten is written in the same style as the Night Before Christmas poem by Clement C. Moore and takes the reader through all the night before preparations for the first day of Kindergarten. It also touches on the excitement and apprehension faced by both parents and children as they prepare for the big day. The rhyming text in The Night Before Kindergarten and the cute illustrations make it an enjoyable read for both parent and child.
Kindergarten Rocks written and illustrated by Katie Davis
This is a great book to help ease fears about Kindergarten. Children can relate to Dexter as he voices his fears about Kindergarten and is reassured by his big sister that everything will be alright and “Kindergarten Rocks” Through the course of the book readers see Dexter’s fears disappear as he engages in lots of fun activities and discovers that his sister was right and “Kindergarten does rock”. Kindergarten Rocks is well written, fun o read and has cute, modern illustrations.
Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready For Kindergarten written by Joseph Slate and illustrated by Ashley Wolff
This whimsical book goes through all the things a Kindergarten teacher named Miss Bindergarten does to get her dark and dreary classroom ready for the first day of school. The classroom becomes a more alive and friendly place with every addition she makes.The reader also gets to read about how her students prepare for the first day of school as well. Each child in Miss Bindergartens class has a name that begins with a different letter of the alphabet and is a different animal making Miss Bindergarten Goes To Kindergarten a great book for introducing more obscure animal names and letters of the alphabet while touching on the excitement and anxiety new Kindergarten students may be feeling. The text is written is a fun to read rhyming form and the illustrations are very colorful.
Welcome To Kindergarten written and illustrated by Anne Rockwell
This book follows a five year old named Tim as he talks about his fears concerning starting Kindergarten and how everything is too big. On a visit to his new classroom Tim gets a chance to see all the fun things he will do in Kindergarten as his teacher shows him all the different areas and Tim concludes that Kindergarten is the not to big at all, in fact its just the right size for him. Parents and children will enjoy the clear, concise text and the bright, simple illustrations in Welcome to Kindergarten.
Countdown To Kindergarten written by Alison McGhee and illustrated by Henry Bliss
This book about starting Kindergarten for the first time starts ten days before the first day when a little girl declares, “I’ve heard from a first grader that they have a lot of rules there,” she confides, . “You have to know how to tie your shoes. By yourself.” On the following days the reader follows her as she goes through one shoelace disaster after another as she tries to lose her shoelaces. When she gets to kindergarten she discovers that several other children don’t know how to tie their shoes either. This is a great book for helping children to learn that its ok to be nervous about new situations and that they are not the only ones. The illustrations in Countdown to Kindergarten are well done and quite funny. The text is very humorous as well. This is definitely a book that parents will enjoy reading and children will enjoy listening too.
Look Out Kindergarten Here I Come written and illustrated by Nancy Carelson
This book focus’s on Henry who is so excited about the first day of Kindergarten that he forgets to do all things he needs to do to get ready. His mom has to remind him to wash his face, brush his hair, get dressed etc. Ont the way to school Henry eagerly talks about all the fun things he will do at Kindergarten and since hes been to Preschool he thinks it will be easy to walk into Kindergarten. When he gets there Henry’s confidence disappears and he wants to go home because school is so big and overwhelming and there are no familiar faces. Its only after Henry finds some familiar toys and makes a friend that he decides to give Kindergarten a try. Although fairly predictable this book is a good book to help familiarize young children with what will happen on the first day of school and gives them an opportunity to discuss their fears.
Off To Kindergarten written and illustrated by Tony Johnston
This clever book about starting Kindergarten helps dispel Kindergarten jitters with laughter, The book focuses on a boy who is nervous about starting Kindergarten and decides he needs to bring all kinds of things from home just in case. The items range from the predictable, a teddy bear, to the outrageous his swing set. In the end he decides to leave all his things at home and boards the school bus all by himself. This book is written in a rhyming text that young children will enjoy hearing over and over again and adults won’t mind reading.
When You Go To Kindergarten written by James Howe with photographs by Betsey Imershein
This book is more of a real life handbook that answers questions children may have about Kindergarten. It goes over things like boarding the bus, what to do if you have to use the bathroom, how to make friends, and general school rules. When You Go To Kindergarten uses photographs of real objects and kindergarten children instead of illustrations. When You Go To Kindergarten is written in a clear, easy to understand text and is an excellent choice to help parents ease little ones Kindergarten fears.
A Place Called Kindergarten written by Jessica Harper and illustrated by G. Brian Karas
This book about starting Kindergarten focuses on a boy named Timmy who lives on a farm and has several animal friends in the barn that he visits every day.When Timmy doesn’t come to the barn in the morning all his animal friends wonder where he went until the dog informs everyone that he went to Kindergarten. Not knowing what this is the animals all speculate on what Kindergarten is and what happens there. When Timmy finally returns he shares all about his day with his friends. This is a great book for encouraging children to share what they think will happen at Kindergarten.
Annabelle Swift Kindergartener written and illustrated by Amy Schwartz
In this story an older sibling helps her sister Annabelle prepare for the big day by teaching her to count to 100, all the color names, and how to answer during roll call. Unfortunately Annabelle’s sister used her moms make up to teach Annabelle her colors and during class Annabelle embarrasses herself by asking for a blue desire lollipop. Children will enjoy reading about Annabelle’s misadventures due to her sisters preparations and how Annabelle’s sister’s tutoring finally paid off when Annabelle gets to be the first Kindergarten milk monitor. The illustrations in Annabelle Swift Kindergarten are well done, colorful and will captivate young children.
This is definitely a book that they will want to hear over and over again.
All of these books are available online from Amazon www.amazon.com/ Many are available as less expensive used copies for parents on a budget.
