The key to being successful in school is being ready when you begin. This is true for each and every grade, each and every year.

What does this mean for your little one who is getting ready for preschool? Most parents don’t think about preschool until their child is one or two years from kindergarten. Sometimes it is too expensive to consider. Even as you read this, legislation is being introduced to help lower the cost, which would help.

Another issue is whether she is potty-trained; some schools will not admit children who haven’t mastered this skill. Even simple things like self-care are considered. Can she put on her shoes and coat or zipper her pants or wash her hands? These simple chores can easily be learned with some help from parents.

Then it becomes more complex. Can she follow simple instructions? You can figure this out by giving her little jobs and simple chores she can do daily. The more you do as a parent, the more she will succeed in doing these small things.

Does she speak clearly? She doesn’t need to be able to speak perfectly, but at least clearly enough so others can understand her. She also needs to be able to understand and hear others who speak to her. She learns how to be ready for school by talking with you on a regular basis.

Most preschoolers need to be able to move from one activity to another with ease. Get her ready for this step at home by giving a little notice about the activity and helping her move on to the next activity.

If you haven’t had her in care outside the home, she may not be used to being away from you. Leave her for short periods of time with someone else to help her get used to you being away.

Make sure she is acclimated to being around other children, or even siblings and relatives. It will help to go to places like the library or weekend activities where she can be around other children.

Next steps

Here are a few more things she will need before she enters kindergarten:

• It will help her to learn to print her first name using upper- and lower-case letters. Encourage her to speak in complete sentences. Make sure she understands that reading moves from left to right.

• She also needs to learn from reading with you that meaning comes from the words but pictures help understand the meaning. Help her learn some nursery rhymes. Help her also learn about upper-case letters (A, B, C).

• She needs to learn the sounds of letters. When you read her a book, she needs to be able to retell the beginning, middle and end when you are finished.

These are all ways that you help your child really be ready to begin a new educational adventure. The more she is ready, the more successful she will be. That is a great way to be ready for school.

Cynthia Martin is the founder of the First Teacher program and former executive director of Parenting Matters Foundation, which published newsletters for parents, caregivers and grandparents.