Hello Tessy,

The best way to help your child get ready for the impending and exciting leap from kindergarten to first grade in a year is to prepare her for important skills now.

Take her to the library and have her pick out a variety of age appropriate books on many subjects, such as history, science or fun with math. (Ask the media specialist if you are not sure what level book you should begin with for your daughter.)  If you read a story book together, before you turn the page ask her prediction questions, such as, "What do you think will happen next?"  If she likes a topic, but cannot read the content (perhaps about space or animals) then borrow the books anyway and help her by you reading aloud to her and letting her try and sound out words.  Start a simple word bank by placing a few words per book on index cards and saving them in an special place.  

Museums, parks and other places are super for natural learning.  Also, baking and cooking (with supervision, of course) is a great method to teach reading and math.  Again, select a few common words for her to save in her word bank.  As she adds words and practices the ones she will have this will increase her probablilty of succeeding in the first grade.  

Good luck and please feel free to look through this website for super ideas, too!

Louise Masin Sattler, NCSP
Nationally Certified School Psychologist
Owner of Signing Families
http://www.SigningFamilies.com