Going away to kindergarten for the first time can be scary for children and parents.

Many parents -- even if their child attended preschool -- are still unsure about how well prepared their child is for kindergarten.

Child development experts say parents should trust their own instincts.

If a parent has some uncertainty, consulting the child's pediatrician or preschool teachers might help in making the decision.

Parents should also feel confident of the kindergarten teacher's expertise and desire to make the transition to formal schooling a positive experience.

To help ease parents' fears, the national Parent Teachers Association has compiled this list of skills that education experts say children should possess to do well in kindergarten:

• Does your child demonstrate a certain amount of independence by taking responsibility for personal tasks such as putting on and taking off his or her coat, and putting things away after using them?
• Is your child able to exercise some control over his or her behavior?
• Is your child comfortable being away from you for a good portion of the day?
• Is your child generally cooperative and able to interact positively in a group -- sharing, taking turns, and following directions?
• Does your child demonstrate curiosity about his or her world, and how things work?
• Is your child eager to exhibit his or her word and number knowledge, as well as eager to learn new things?
• Does he or she like to play with blocks and paints, work puzzles, play make-believe, and generally manipulate his or her play world?

Once a decision is made to enroll a child in kindergarten, there are several things a parent can do to help smooth the child's transition into the classroom:

• Attend the school's kindergarten orientation program with your child. Children will have an opportunity to meet the teachers, view the classroom and find out what the school day will entail.
• Discuss with your child how they will be arriving and departing from school. If your child will be walking to school, do a practice run together a few times before school begins. If you child will be bussed to school, take them to the bus stop for a trial run.
• Talk with your child about kindergarten. Find out if he or she has any fears or questions that can be addressed before school begins. Start a countdown until school a few weeks before classes start so that your child will have time anticipate his or her first day of school.
• If you will need to make changes in your child's bedtime and awakening time, make those changes now. You can begin by having your child go to bed 10 to 15 minutes earlier each night for a week and have them awaken a few minutes earlier each day until they are on a schedule that resembles the one they will need for school.
• Try to arrange your schedule so that you will be able to take your child to the bus stop or classroom on the first day of school. If it's not possible, arrange for a familiar person to be with your child on the first few days of school.

And remember, most states require a complete physical examination and updating of the child's immunizations before kindergarten.

The immunizations usually given at the 5-year-old checkup include a DPT booster (diptheria-pertussis-tetanus), OPV (oral polio vaccine) and MMR (measles-mumps-rubella).

Give yourself plenty of time before school begins, because pediatricians' offices are very busy during back-to-school times.

Last but not least, experts say parents should relax and remember that the first day of school is almost always more stressful for the parent than it is for the child.

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