Teach the importance of a preschool graduation

Graduation is such a special milestone in a child’s life. This ceremony is a great opportunity to celebrate learning and to recognize an important milestone, one that may be the first of many milestones. The innate feeling of pride and accomplishment as you walk across the stage to receive your preschool diploma is so amazing. From the tassel on the graduation cap to hearing the ceremonial music of “Pomp and Circumstance” for the first time, graduation is a special moment.

Celebrating milestones and educational achievements helps give children a sense of accomplishment and pride.

Teaching about graduation also helps children transition into kindergarten. Easing children into the transition to school is a huge benefit in their future learning experiences.

The ability of students to fully engage in and benefit from their kindergarten experiences has been shown to depend on the degree to which they successfully transition into kindergarten, and the success of that transition is at least partially predicated on their home and early educational backgrounds.

Families can teach about graduation by reading graduation books, incorporating graduation into play, and more.

Read on for some suggestions:

Books to read:

Mrs. Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten
Joseph Slate, Ashley Wolff
The Night Before Kindergarten
Natasha Wing, Julie Durrell
Edgar Graduates
Dr. Mary Ann Shallcross Smith

Incorporate graduation into play:

Pretend play with graduation gowns, graduation caps, tassels, and diplomas
Set up a “stage” with chairs for the audience and for the children
Play “Pomp and Circumstance” so children can practice marching on/off stage
Make yarn or sting tassels to use as a paint brush alternative
Cut out graduation photos and paste/tape onto blocks for block play
Practice writing the words “tassel,” “diploma,” “gown,” “cap,” “graduation”
Provide sample diplomas for children to practice writing their names

Sing graduation songs together:

Going off to Kindergarten

Sung to: “Oscar Mayer Wiener Song”

Oh, I’m ready to go off to kindergarten
That is where I really want to be
Cause when I get to go to kindergarten
Everyone will be so proud of me!

I’m a Little Graduate

Sung To: “I’m a Little Teapot”

I’m a little graduate
Dressed in _____ (color),
Wearing a gown
and a cap on my head.
When I leave preschool
I will be ____ (age)
A kindergarten student
Aren’t you proud of me?

Fun in Preschool

Sung to: “I’ll Be Working on the Railroad”

I’ve been having fun in preschool,
Learning all year long.
I can tell you all about it,
Just listen to this song.
We’ve been learning shapes and colors,
Letters and numbers too!
I’ve learned how to share with others,
Now our year is through!

Graduation

Original Author Unknown
Sung to: “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”

Kindergarten here we come
We know we’ll have lots of fun
Lots of things to make and do
Reading, writing, counting too
Kindergarten here we come
We know we’ll have lots of fun

Special Me

Sung To: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star“

Special, special, special me
How I wonder what I’ll be.
In this big world I can be
Anything I want to be.
Special, special, special me

How I wonder what I’ll be. To Kindergarten We Go

by Christa Koch
Sung to: “Mary Had a Little Lamb”

In Preschool we had lots of fun,
Lots of fun, lots of fun.
In Preschool we had lots of fun.
To Kindergarten we go.
We know our letters and 123s
How to share, and all about me.
In Pre-k we had lots of fun.
To Kindergarten we go.

For all of our Dr. Day Care graduates – each child will receive a copy of Edgar Graduates. Read this story together with your graduate to celebrate your child’s achievements.

Edgar Graduates

This book teaches children the concepts of graduation as well as understanding important milestones in a child’s life. By reinforcing milestones children can easily recognize (such as toilet training, learning ABCs, and more), children learn about educational opportunities that are available.