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Kindergarten comes with big changes for children. It may be their first time in a structured school setting, or in a room with many children.

Each child responds differently. Some get excited about new experiences, while others feel nervous about these upcoming changes. Furthermore, children may react differently once they enter the classroom.

Kids also come to kindergarten at different readiness levels. Some have skills like knowing the alphabet and counting to ten. Others have not yet acquired these skills.

Here are nine ways to help kids make this transition.

When most people think about parent-child reading activities, they likely picture a mother quietly reading to her children. Very few people would envision a reading event where fathers and children are acting like donkeys, elephants, and gorillas. That is exactly what happens, however, at a Dad and Kid Reading Night sponsored by Strong Fathers-Strong Families. Dad and Kid Reading Night encourages and teaches fathers to read to their children. The books are carefully chosen both to reflect the father child dynamic and to facilitate lively activity.

 This brief presents information about screen time research, considers the implications for parents and children, and provides tips and resources to help fathers manage their children’s screen time. 

This research brief from the Office of Child Support Enforcement identifies findings from a five-site Parenting Time Opportunities for Children (PTOC) grant. This grant, awarded to child support agencies in California, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Oregon, was intended to demonstrate how child support agencies can include parenting time orders in child support enforcement actions and how the increases in noncustodial parenting time, with safeguards in place for child welfare, led to improved relationships and increased compliance with child support payment.

This research brief covers the different stages of child development and highlights the impact resident fathers have on each stage of child development. This brief stresses the importance of positive father to child interactions. Resident fathers who demonstrate more sensitivity toward their children are shown to have a positive impact on the cognitive development of infants & toddlers (0-2) and early childhood (2-6) stages of development. This brief also discusses how resident fathers’ positive emotional involvement correlates to healthy socioemotional development in middle childhood…

This research brief covers the different stages of child development and highlights the impact non-resident fathers have on each stage of child development. This brief shows the correlation between a father’s regular presence in a child’s life and healthy cognitive development in infants & toddlers (0-2) and early childhood (2-6). Social development and academic performance are shown to be negatively impacted by the lack of fatherhood involvement in the older childhood development stages of middle childhood (7-10), early adolescence (11-14), and late adolescence (15-18). Regular and…

When dads spend time with their kids from the very beginning and work to keep close feelings between them, good things happen to the kids. This resource provides tips for new fathers to engage and bond with their newborn.

Family instability refers to changes in parents’ residential and romantic partnerships, such as marriage, divorce, and romantic partners moving in or out of the home. Family instability influences children and adolescents’ functioning, as do household income and parents’ relationship status. Family stability can promote positive social behavior in children and adolescents, while instability is associated with social maladjustment, including behaviors such as aggression toward peers, teachers, or parents. This brief examines the links between family instability during childhood,…

Estos consejos en español ofrecen orientación sobre las formas en que los padres pueden entender a su niño en edad preescolar, fomentar el desarrollo de su hijo, y participar en la vida de su niño en edad preescolar.  

This tip card offers guidance on ways in which dads can understand their preschooler, foster their child's development, and be involved in their preschooler's life.