Will your little one be attending preschool for the very first time? He or she might be feeling a mix of emotions about going to preschool. These emotions can range from excitement about being a “big kid” who goes to school, to fear about what, exactly, he or she will face in the classroom. One way to calm worries and build confidence is with stories.
Little kids often view story books as something fun to read (or have read to them). They don’t realize it, but many are using the stories as a means to help them understand the world around them. Read your child some books about preschool in the days before he or she will start attending it. That should help!
The following books are ones I found at Barnes & Noble. They are likely also available at Amazon.com. Parents might want to see if their local library has some of these books before purchasing them.
Maisy Goes to Preschool
This book is by Lucy Cousins, and features the popular character of Maisy the mouse. The book shows Maisy going through a typical day at preschool. She hangs up her coat on a special peg. She gets to do some painting, and enjoys snack time. There is story time, and nap time, and time to play outside. Kids who love Maisy may be especially interested in her day at preschool.
Spot’s Preschool
This book is by Eric Hill. It is part of the popular series of books about a dog named Spot. The book opens up into a three-dimensional play set of Spot’s preschool. It includes 3 scenes: a playground, a classroom, and an activity room. There are also lift-the-flaps, pop-ups, and pull tabs. The book has over 20 press out characters and pieces to play with. This book lets your child “explore” preschool in his or her own way.
It’s Time for Preschool!
This book is by Esme Raji Codell and Sue Rama. Instead of featuring a popular character, this book shows images of children. Some will resemble your child, and some will look different from him or her. The book goes through the fun experiences in preschool including making friends, sharing, using manners, playing games, imagining, and more.
These are just a few of the many books that are designed to help young children cope with the exciting (and sometimes scary) transition into preschool. If your child doesn’t particularly respond to these titles, there are others that may be more interesting to him or her that you can try.
Image by US Embassy Manila on Flickr.