Across Canada, thousands of children are getting ready to step into classrooms for the first time. It’s an exciting milestone, but the transition to kindergarten can also be a stressful time for children and their families.
Dr. Magdalena Janus, Sunny Hill BC Leadership Chair in Child Development and professor of pediatrics at UBC, is an internationally recognized expert in early childhood development and school readiness. Her recent research, which followed more than 25,000 children from kindergarten through Grade 9, found that differences in skills at kindergarten entry can be linked to academic achievement years later.
We asked Dr. Janus what families should know about getting ready for this important transition.
What should parents and caregivers know about the transition into kindergarten?
Research shows that the first five days can be really difficult, and the best strategy is to do a little bit of preparation and familiarization ahead of time. Start walking past the school, visit the playground, practice the commute — that’s going to make things a bit easier for everyone, including the parents.
It’s not necessarily going to be easy for the child or the rest of the family. Things are not going to settle within a day, and it’s not a big tragedy if it doesn’t immediately go well, unless a child appears profoundly unhappy for weeks on end. Transitions can be challenging, and that’s a normal part of life.
Is working on early numeracy and literacy skills helpful?
Our recent study found that math skills in kindergarten do predict how children will do in math later on. That doesn’t really mean that if you have a three-year-old, you should rush and teach them math and algebra. It’s about building numeracy skills into daily life, which can be as simple as pointing out the number of fruit slices on a plate or shopping together and looking at prices. You can bake together and point out, “this is a half a cup, and this is a cup — which one is bigger?” These are all opportunities to add a bit of numeracy into everyday life.
Children who come to school with more language and cognitive skills definitely do a little bit better, but that is also modified by their emotional and social preparedness. I don’t believe that focusing too much on whether a child can manage some cognitive tasks is the best way to prepare a child for the first day of school. The best strategy is to get emotionally ready for the first week of school and the new routine.
How do the early school years relate to lifelong health and wellness?
Studies repeatedly find that there is quite a lot of association between children’s development in the early years and their academic, social and career trajectories. We see that children who do better in the early years are more likely to graduate from school on time, to have better academic scores, and to access post-high school education.
But it’s important to note that this isn’t make it or break it. If things don’t go well in the first few years, it doesn’t necessarily mean that things will go badly for the rest of the child’s life. It’s just much easier to prevent things from happening early on than to intervene when they impact people to such an extent that it becomes a problem.
Are there children who may need extra support with the transition?
Every child is unique, and some may need more support than others, particularly if they’re neurodivergent, living with a disability or struggling with anxiety and change. The key is to understand what your child needs and to share this with teachers and the school, including whether your child has an official diagnosis or not. Teachers have the well-being of their students in their hearts and they are willing to help.
My final message is to be kind to yourself as a parent, because you’re going through a transition as well. And if you’re well, your child is more likely to be well.
Interview language(s): English
Source: https://news.ubc.ca/2026/09/starting-kindergarten-expert-tips-for-a-smooth-school-transition/