STARTING KINDERGARTEN AND SCHOOL ADAPTATION PROCESS
Starting kindergarten is the child's first experience of creating their own social environment, so it is one of the most important steps in your child's development. Leaving the environment in which he was surrounded and securely attached from the moment he was born; comes to a new environment with peers and rules. Many children begin to be separated from their parents for the first time during this period. What happens in this new social environment is not easy for the little ones, but what they gain here is very valuable and important to him. Spending this period in which the foundations of their personality will be laid in the most healthy and correct way will be one of the best achievements we will give to our children.
When your child starts Pre-School Education, that is, Nursery and Day Care Center, he/she enters from the family environment where he knows all the rules and even creates most of these rules, into an environment where both his peers and adults are present. This period is a big change for children and the right steps should be taken during the adaptation process to kindergarten, that is, to school, in order to pass this new situation healthy.
It is known that the age of 0-6 is the most important period for the development of the child, especially the age of 0-3 is important in terms of receptive and expressive language; being with peers and in structured environments shows that language-cognitive development will develop much better and faster in this process.
The problem experienced in adapting to Akdeniz Montessori Nursery and Day Care Center is not only the difficulty of separating from the mother. There are many factors that play a role in the adaptation and adaptation process of children to the new environment. The most important of these factors are; teacher, peer relations, parental attitudes. In addition to these, factors such as the physical structure of the school and environmental conditions also affect the adaptation process to the school. Children are now mostly separated from the mother before; support is received from carer sisters or grandparents. For this reason, it is much more necessary for the child who has experienced separation from the mother to start school; because it is very unlikely that home caregivers will be sufficient for the new generation of children. Even if it grows with the mother, the new generation children are at school; language-cognitive, physical and social, much more is given at home than a single person can give. At Akdeniz Montessori, our Pre-School Education Institution, it is aimed for children to be self-sufficient and to gain the sense of achievement on their own from a young age; this allows your child to build their personality autonomously and develop their self-confidence in an environment independent of you.
It can be stated that it is natural for the child to have some adjustment problems in the first 15 days of starting the Nursery and Day Care Center. However, if the period of incompatibility exceeds 15 days and is prolonged, it may be caused by more severe emotional problems. At this point, parents' being in close contact with the school and taking the right steps together enable them to take precautions against bigger problems to be experienced in the future.
SUGGESTIONS TO PARENTS
*You can give your child little information about the Pre-School Education Institution he will go to, and get him an idea about his school.
*You should state that the Kindergarten is a place where only children are present and that parents cannot be there.
* You should talk to your child about the arrival and departure times of the school and tell him that he will only stay at the school for a certain period of time. You should explain the time you will take your child in terms that he or she will understand and be careful to take it before that time is over.
* When your child first starts kindergarten, it is very important that the caregiver comes with him to school. In the first week, it is the primary goal for your child to trust the school and the teacher. For this reason, your child does activities with you and his teacher separately from the classroom and other children and stays at school for a short time. In the first week, the child is carefully observed, if he is not ready to leave, this process is continued for a while. In this process, what is expected of you is to make posts that will encourage school at home, to give information about the school to your child and to indicate that you trust it. Remember, your child carefully observes your feelings and reacts accordingly. You should also keep in touch with the school about your child's readiness.
* Even if the child starts to cry when it's time to separate, you should be determined to leave. (Kiss him and say, “I'm leaving now” and tell him you'll be back. Express it in terms he will understand when it will happen. Then wave your hand and move on. Don't stop to check that he's okay. Don't look back.)
* Insist on your child's regular attendance at nursery. Be calm and determined, even if she continues to complain. If school attendance is supported by all family members, your child will gain confidence and get used to school more quickly.
*Remember that you should not compare your adjustment or success in school with others.
Finally, remember that 0-6 years of age is the period when your child develops the fastest in terms of language-cognitive, social and physical aspects, trusting the school you chose for him in order to spend this period in the healthiest and most correct way will comfort him and make it easier for him to adapt.
Ps. Berfu Bag