Wrapping up a year of preschool

It’s the season to think about that transition from the school year into summer. Whether your program has a hard end date, or you’re with your student all summer long, it’s helpful to really think through how you want to support children through this.

Children who will go to kindergarten next year often have the benefit of preparing for graduation, and the actual graduation celebration to signify the change. With younger children who are going to continue at the same program next year, they’ve still accomplished something – they’ve finished a year of preschool! giving them a celebration to recognize this can be one great way to help make the shift towards summer. You could plan any theme – from an ice cream social to a beach party, fiesta, or outdoor movie event. This gives children a very clear date on the calendar to represent the end of one year, and the beginning of the next.

Some other ways to begin a transition towards summer include shifting your daily routine a bit, with less of a focus on obvious academics, and more on outdoor play and a little less structure in general. You can also plan for conversations about their favorite memories from the year, and what they’re looking forward to over the summer.

If you’re looking for ideas on managing summer in the classroom, be sure to check out this post!