If children are just starting school, whether it is preschool or kindergarten, or if they are changing schools, they usually feel a mixture of excitement and apprehension. It is natural to feel both of these emotions. Until your child is past the period of adjustment to a new situation, you can expect to regularly encounter mixed emotions about going to school.

However, there are things that you can do to decrease the apprehension and to increase the anticipation. Children need to feel a sense of security about a new situation. One of the ways in which they develop this is through knowing what to expect. How can they learn this? There are several things you can do.

• Call and find out if you can visit the school and see your child's classroom before school starts.
• Talk to your child about what s/he will do at school.
• Go shopping for school supplies and discuss how your child will use them at school.
• Share books with your child that talk about daily activities at school and that address children's fears about beginning school. The library also has many great books to help with the transition:
  
  
  • Bad Boris Goes to School
  • Berenstain Bears Go To School
  • Countdown to Kindergarten
  • Emily's First 100 Days of School
  • First Day, Hooray
  • The First Day of School
  • Games For Math
  • How to Improve Your Child's Language & Thinking Skills
  • How to Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten
  • How to Teach Your Child
  • Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come
  • Mama, Don't Go
  • Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready For Kindergarten
  • Mouse's First Day of School
  • The Night Before Kindergarten
  • Timothy Goes to School
  • Tiptoe Into Kindergarten
  • Tom Goes To Kindergarten
  • Vera's First Day of School
  • The Very Worst Thing
  • Wanda's First Day
  • When You Go To Kindergarten