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16 Hudson Valley Parent n August 2018 feel they belong and are cared about outside of their parents' arms." Some of the skills that Kid's Place teaches include the art of taking turns in a group setting and developing fine motor skills through sensory play. "The use of play-dough helps to develop the muscles in their fingers that will be needed to properly grip a pencil for writing," says Seegler. The students also learn how to count. "As a preschool teacher, I encouraged parents to play with their children to build their foundational skills for reading and mathematics," says Victoria Hill, M.S.Ed. who is a former preschool teacher at West Point and is currently a first-grade By LISA IANNUCCI B efore entering kindergarten, kids should have several skills. But who teaches them all these things? Do they learn everything in preschool? And what should you, the parents, be teaching at home? Prepare for kindergarten with games "A successful preschool classroom will help to prepare a child for kindergarten," says Pam Seegler, executive director of Kid's Place in Beacon. "Children who feel confident with their abilities are always eager to explore the world around them. The role of a preschool teacher is to create an environment where children teacher in Middletown. There are many games that Hill suggests parents do at home. "Engage children in multi-exchange conversations to build language and listening skills," she says. "Play games that require turn-taking to build patience and social awareness. Guessing how many steps, hops or skips it is from one place to another builds spatial awareness and counting skills. Silly word games build an awareness of the sounds in language, which is a fundamental skill required for reading success." However, Hill doesn't want parents to feel like they must drill skills all summer. "Just reinforce the foundational skills your children will need for long-term school success," she says. Parents are reinforcement Once they come home from school, the parents' job is to reinforce what the child has learned in school. "For example, preschool is often the first time that children are exposed to a variety of mediums used to create," says Seegler. "The role of the teacher includes modeling how to care for our supplies as well as using them properly." At home, the role of the parents is to let them create and use the mediums they have learned about in school. Rana Qader's four-year- old daughter loves art, which will help her to reinforce what she learns once she attends preschool this fall. "We are always playing and reading books as well as doing arts and crafts," says Qadar, who also is mom to a two-year-old son. Each month, preschoolers focus on a self-help skill too. "In the fall it Is preschool enough? Learn your role in teaching your child Danielle Lee Soto filled the gaps in education left by her daughter's preschool. She helped her child improve in her reading skills before kindergarten.