Discerning Parenting

085 - What Your Preschool Child Needs to Know for Nursery and Kindergarten

• Victoria Ang-Nolasco, MD • Episode 85

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Is your little one ready to take that big leap into nursery or kindergarten?

In this episode, we break down the essential steps to ensure your child is prepared for this exciting new chapter. We understand that this transition can be a significant source of worry and stress for parents—questions like "How do I get my child ready for nursery?" or "What does my child need to be prepared for kindergarten?" are common concerns. That's why we've brought in the perfect expert, someone with the knowledge and experience to guide you through this important process.

Tune in to gain valuable insights and practical tips that will help make this transition as smooth and stress-free as possible.

About our Guest:
Roxanne Veronica Sevilla is a committed educator with nine years of experience as a preschool teacher and now works as a learning support teacher at MGC New Life Christian Academy. She co-founded The Nook Learning and Play Hub, offering play-based learning for young children and a SPED playgroup for social skills development. A strong advocate for home-school partnerships and integrating biblical principles in teaching, Roxanne holds a degree in Special Education from Trinity University of Asia, where she was recently honored as an outstanding alumna. She is currently pursuing her master's in Special Education at De La Salle University.

Follow The Nook Learning and Play Hub on Facebook and Instagram!

Previous episodes mentioned in this podcast:


Help your child build the skills they need, in a fun and easy way - without exhausting you. Check out my course, Learning Through Play!

⭐ Our book Learning by Heart: Teach Your Child to Read, Stress-Free is now on Amazon! Click here to learn more about Dr. Victoria Nolasco's books.

⭐ Check out our FREE Discerning Parenting Toolkit and Resource Library.

⭐ Find out more about our on-demand courses to guide you through parenting challenges.


The Discerning Parenting Podcast is a free informational resource for parents. As a valued listener, you acknowledge that any information you get from this podcast is for your general guidance only, and ​​must never be considered a substitute for the advice provided by a doctor, therapist, or other qualified medical professionals who know your child specifically. Read our full disclaimer policy here.

Is your little one ready for that big leap into nursery or kindergarten?  Today we're breaking down the essential things that your child would need to get them ready for nursery and kindergarten.  I know this is a huge worry for parents. It's one of the most common questions that I hear from parents and sometimes it causes a lot of stress, like how do I get my child ready for nursery?

How do I get my child ready for kindergarten, especially in what we call the big schools?  And today we have just the perfect expert who has the knowledge, who has the experience to help us with this. 

Welcome to Discerning Parenting, the podcast for parents of kids age 12 and under who have learned the hard way that a one size fits all approach to parenting won't shift the needle for you, your child, or your family. Together, We'll explore intentional strategies that see both you and your kids thrive. 

Parenting strategies based on well conducted research in the areas of child development, brain science, and neurodiversity need practical for you.  What if you let go of perfect and embrace discerning parenting in your family instead?  If you feel like you've been stumbling your way through. And you're ready to leave behind fight or flight mode parenting.

Then this is the podcast for you.  I'm Dr. Victoria Angolasco, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrician and Positive Parenting Coach, on a mission to help you release your parenting guilt,  so you can become laser focused on what will truly work for you.  

 Today we're very fortunate to have with us teacher Roxanne Sevilla. She has nearly a decade of experience as a preschool teacher in a big school. 

And she is now with learner support  with  kids who are in the early years and also in the lower primary years. And she is also co owner and co founder and program director of Nook Learning and Play Hub.  She helps young kids from 8 months to 4 years old with play based learning. And.  She has a major in special education, and she's also now taking her master's in special education, and she has received a host of awards as well, like being an outstanding alumna in her school. 

This is our second episode with her. Remember last time she. Talked with us about helping kids build social skills and today we're going to  talk with her about those skills that preschool kids need to know for nursery and kindergarten. And what I love about teacher Roxanne is she's actually been here from both sides.

So she's from the side of early years. So she has toddler learning, she has personally worked with kids to help get them ready and she has also  extensive experience in the big school side, the side that she's getting these kids ready for. So we're really fortunate that she's worked with  countless kids and parents through this. 

Thank you so much, Teacher Roxanne, for being with us today. I know you have a very busy schedule,  thank you for taking the time.   What are the skills that kids should ideally have before starting in nursery school?  Hi, Dr. Nolasco. Thank you again for having me, and it's really a privilege to be here today as well.

So we're diving into the essential skills and knowledge your child needs to thrive in nursery and in kindergarten.  So let's start off with nursery. So before nursery, before starting nursery school, children should ideally have developed a range of skills to help them adjust to the new environment. Or what we call the big school. 

So these include and may not limited to social skills.  So according to research, children benefit from having basic social skills, such as sharing, taking turns and cooperating with peers.  These skills help them engage in group activities and will help them form positive relationships.  So if you are worried about these things, be sure to head over to the Discerning Parenting podcast.

Go to the previous episode where we exactly talk about these social skills.  That's right. Next will be basic self care. Children should be able to manage simple self care tasks like washing their hands, Using the toilet independently and feeding themselves these skills. Foster independence and confidence as well.

And if your child is still in the process of mastering these skills, I guess they can also talk with the school because there are some schools that may also be able to help with this. That's correct.  And next will be communication skills. Effective communication is crucial, so children should be able to express their needs,  follow simple instructions, and participate in conversations.

This includes both verbal and non verbal communication.  Next is fine motor skills. Activities such as drawing, coloring, and handling small objects help develop fine motor skills. These are important for tasks like holding a pencil, crayon, or using a scissor, pair of scissors.  And lastly, emotional regulation.

It's beneficial for children to begin recognizing and managing their emotions. Techniques like deep breathing can be introduced to help them cope with stress or frustrations.   Wow. So if you look at it,  social skills, basic self care, communication skills.  Fine motor, hand skills, emotional regulation. You notice what's not there. Alphabet, numbers. I know these are things that a lot of parents are worried about. Does the child already need to know their alphabets?  Eventually they will be introduced to these in school.

But before that, we have to lay the foundation. And,  Yes, so I hope that this has actually eased just these first few minutes of this episode have already eased your worries. And if you are wondering what we can do to develop these skills, I actually have a course about this. It's a course about learning through play.

These are things that you can do at home to help your child build the skills they need in a way that is fun and easy without exhausting you. So we link to this course in the show notes. Or you can head over to discerningparenting. com slash everything. So again, that's discerningparenting. com slash everything that has links to all of our courses, including our course about learning through play.

 So those are the skills that ideally we would like to develop in kids so that they're ready for preschool levels, let's say nursery. How about kindergarten?  I know kindergarten readiness is like such a big buzzword. There are so many kindergarten readiness kits and they can be very stressful.

Like you look at them, it's all about alphabet numbers, concepts, and memorization. But really, what is kindergarten readiness all about? Okay, so for kindergarten readiness, the focus actually shifts slightly to more academic and advanced social skills.  Research from the American Academy of Pediatrics highlights the following key areas.

And again, this is not limited to these  only. First is literary, literacy skills. So recognizing letters, understanding that print carries meaning, and beginning to write their name  are foundational literacy skills. So early exposure to books and storytelling significantly boost these skills also. 

Next would be numeracy skills. Children should have a basic understanding of numbers, counting, and simple concepts like more or less. Engaging in everyday activities that involve counting, such as cooking or shopping, can reinforce these concepts.  Third would be social and emotional skills.  Building on what was learned in nursery, children should be able to work in groups, follow classroom rules, and exhibit self control. 

So the Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning emphasizes the importance of social emotional learning, or what we call the SEL skills, in promoting positive behavior and academic success.  Next would be problem solving skills, just the basic ones. Encouraging children to solve simple problems on their own fosters critical thinking and independence.

This can be as simple as figuring out how to complete a puzzle or deciding what to do if a crayon breaks. And lastly, their motor skills.  So physical activities that develop coordination and balance such as running, jumping, and climbing are also important. These skills support overall health and readiness for physical activities in big school. 

Yeah, thank you for sharing that. So it's really very holistic.  It's not just about the letters and numbers. And if you note in kindergarten, it's actually starting to recognize them. It's not.  Pressuring them that they should already know how to read  but it's getting them started on their literacy journey.

But aside from that, there's social emotional learning, and you mentioned problem solving. And I love how you talked about deciding what to do if, let's say, a crayon breaks.  These are all things that are going to happen in school, so they would have to know how to handle frustration, and then their gross motor skills, movement, I know that a lot of our kids may not necessarily have opportunities to move nowadays, so we have to emphasize these things. 

We've, these are also things we've been talking about at the Discerning Parenting podcast, like social emotional skills, and  we've had an episode before about how to  get kids moving. We had a mom and a physical therapist talk with us about that. So we'll also link to these in the show notes.

So be sure to follow the Discerning Parenting podcast because we have a lot of tips about these and also coming up very soon.  We'll be publishing our next book. The title is Learning by Heart and it focuses on helping kids through early literacy.  We're very excited about that. So be sure to follow the podcast so you won't miss it.

We'll let you know when it comes out.  We've talked about the skills that kids need at the nursery level, at the kindergarten level, and I know there are so many misconceptions and a lot of times parents are worried about these Things but in reality, it's a misconception like there are parents who have come to me saying we may  child in kindergarten should already be reading whole sentences, but she's not and then they're so stressed.

 So what is common misconceptions that parents have about school readiness?   Okay, so common misconceptions about school readiness can lead to unnecessary stress for both parents and children. And some of these may include misconceptions like academic skills are the most important.  So they're not. Yeah, I'm glad we're clarifying them.

I know we can really get stressed about academic skills and it's natural.  I guess because maybe they're easily measured, they're the first things that we see, but academic skills are not the most important. So thank you for clarifying that because a lot of people think that it's really all about academics.

Sometimes we focus on that to the extent of neglecting the other aspects of holistic development.  That's right. While academic skills are still important, they are not the sole indicator of school readiness. Social, emotional, and physical development are equally crucial.  I've read in an article in National Association for the Education of Young Children, it says that a well rounded approach that includes all areas of development is essential.

 We've noticed I know sometimes as parents, we can be worried that kids Oh, it's a lot. There's academics, there's social, there's emotional, there's physical. So what do I focus on first? And often, we're pressured into thinking that we do the academics first.  But what we'd like to point out here is it's actually the other way around.

We need to build first the physical, the social,  emotional development. Because we need to get that first before we can get to academics. And I'm sure you'll agree, Teacher Roxanne,  like the teacher in school will be very good at teaching the academics. Yeah. But if they don't have that social aspect, if they don't have that emotional aspect, or if, let's say, They do. 

This is something we talk about in our book that's coming out learning by Heart. Like  a student  may not be familiar with reading yet,  but they love books. They have that social and emotional  ability to handle frustration.  It's quite easy to introduce the academics. But if it's the opposite way around maybe they have the academic skills, but  they don't have that emotional readiness, or maybe they already hate school.

It's going to be so much more difficult, whether it's for us as parents or in the classroom.  So we, and there's also this critical time for brain development. So in the early years, during the toddler years, they had to  the social brain is developing. We don't want to miss out on that.  Practice and emotional regulation, language and communication, all of that we don't want to miss out during the early years, during the toddler years.

Academics, it's okay. If we wait, they can still learn it later. But we have to have that foundation.  Yes.   Okay. So moving on to another misconception is actually that children need to be perfectly independent. Yes.  So again, while independence is valuable, expecting children to manage everything independently can be unrealistic.

So it's important to balance fostering independence with providing support when the child needs it.  Yeah.  To us parents. Okay, so as parents, to avoid these pitfalls, we should, you should focus on a balanced development approach, emphasizing social, emotional, physical, and academic growth.  Support your child's independence  gradually, offering help when needed, and encouraging self sufficiency in small steps.

And lastly, make decisions about school readiness based on your child's development rather than societal pressure or comparison with peers. I  know that in this age of social media, sometimes we really feel pressured. People compare kids with each other and I know it can be difficult because I guess our brains are naturally wired to compare with others.

But I hope that this has encouraged you to rise above this and just respect where our kids are at in their development. And if you have any concerns, you can bring this up with your pediatrician and then they can do what they call a developmental screening to see if your child's development is okay.

is on track. And we also have plenty of resources about this at Discerning Parenting. So you can head over to discerningparenting.  com slash toolkit. This gets you on our mailing list. You'll be among the first to know when our book Learning by Heart will come out.   So now  teacher Roxanne, can you share with us your top three tips for parents to help their kids get ready for school? 

Okay, so here are my top three tips for helping your child get ready for big school.  First is to create a routine. Establish a consistent daily routine that includes time for play, time for learning, time for meals, and time for rest. This helps children understand structure and predictability, which is crucial for adjusting to a school environment. 

According to a research that consistent routines support better sleep and overall well being of a child. So it's also important to manage their expectations.  Maybe countdown of when would classes start already and that teachers  and whom mommy and daddy know also will be there to help and mommy and daddy will be there to just bring them to school and will wait for them after they go to school.

Yeah, that's true. Just to share in my child's school, I love how they make the transition  easy and seamless because they have a transition period where there are smaller groups and then the parents are with the kids before having to The full class period with the entire class and then without the parents, it  simply helps the kids adjust and the teachers are just wonderful with helping them adjust. 

To help in creating a routine for your child, head over to discerningparenting. com slash toolkit. One of the things that we have there is a visual routine, so you can adapt it to your own, and then  there are pictures there that you can use to communicate the routine to your child, so it will help,  making a routine easier for you. 

Yes. Second would be engage in play based learning. So you can incorporate educational activities into play. You may use games, puzzles, and hands on activities. to teach concepts like numbers, letters, and problem solving. So research shows that  the play based learning enhances cognitive, social, and emotional skills.

Yes, there's so much research about that, about how kids really learn through play. So sometimes we get the parents asking like,  should I let my child play? Is it okay to let my child play? Or does my child need to learn? It's not either or because that is how they learn.  Correct. And lastly, intentionally and fervently pray for your child.

Prayer, again, is a powerful way to support your child's journey. So by praying for them and with them, their  well being, social interactions, and academic success, you provide a spiritual foundation that can give them strength and guidance.  And many studies have actually shows that  positive, the positive impact of spiritual practices on mental health and resilience of a child. 

That is so true. And thank you for sharing that. And,  for some time before my child entered big school this was actually one of my worries.  And we prayed fervently about this and we're so thankful to have found a wonderful school and we are so thankful for the support and also the wonderful friends  and  that is a blessing that was granted to us by God to  be in this wonderful community.  

 Thank you.  Yeah, so we're wrapping up today's episode on preparing your preschooler for nursery and kindergarten. Do you have any,  any insights or takeaways that you want  our listeners to bring with them?  Okay, so I know that parenting is a journey with both challenges and joys. So preparing your child for school is a significant milestone, and your efforts are invaluable.

Remember, every child develops at their own pace, and your love,  support, and encouragement are what matter most. Celebrate their progress, foster their curiosity, and nurture their social and emotional skills. And don't forget to intentionally pray for your child. Again, your prayers can provide them with a strong foundation. 

You are your child's first and most important teacher and your involvement and dedication make all the difference.  Thank you so much, Teacher Roxanne.  So as we saw in this episode, getting your child ready for school, I know it can feel stressful, but I hope that we have eased your stress.  and  giving you action items, empowering us moving forward. 

Don't forget to check out our free parenting toolkit,  discerningparenting. com slash toolkit. I've also linked to this in the show notes and be sure to follow the discerning parenting podcast.  So in the next episode, we'll be talking about another very much requested topic, which is talking with your child's teacher. 

We've talked about getting your child ready for school, and I know that sometimes for kids who are already in school, there are parents who would  have questions, or sometimes they may not agree.  So how do we approach this in a way that is mutually respectful? So  📍 I'm glad that we have Teacher Roxanne to talk to us today with us about this next week. So don't miss it. Be sure to follow the Discerning Parenting Podcast. Till then, thank you. And we wish you a joyful and peaceful journey in being a discerning parent.