Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood & Preschool Readiness

A child’s formal learning begins in kindergarten, but preparation for school starts much earlier. Teachers’ report that their primary concerns about children’s readiness for school center around social behaviors and skills such as being able to articulate wants and thoughts, not disrupting the class, following directions, problem solving, completing tasks, along with taking turns and sharing.

Along with literacy and math, social and emotional education is falling to parents more than ever before. According to a survey of parents of 2 – 6 year olds, PBS KIDS found 86 percent of parents believe they have the most influence in preparing children for kindergarten.

According to the 2011 Bureau of Labor Statistics, both parents are working outside the home in nearly 60 percent of households, and in today’s multimedia world parents need quick and easy resources. According to the survey, parents rely on a variety of tools, including parenting books/magazines (47%), PBS KIDS (46%), online parenting sites (46%), and other moms/parents (45%), to give them guidance on preparing their children for school.

PBS KIDS has developed five simple tips, adapted from the new series DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD <http://www.pbskids.org/daniel> which launched recently, to help parents support their children’s social-emotional development, and to give kids practical strategies for dealing with various emotions:

1. When your child is disappointed about something, help him/her find something positive about the situation to focus on instead.
2. When your child gets angry, encourage him/her to take a deep breath and count to four.
3. Encourage your child to keep trying when he/she is struggling with a challenging task.
4. When your child is feeling apprehensive about a new experience – like going to the doctor or starting school – talk to him/her about what to expect beforehand.
5. Teach your child patience by coming up with activities to do while you’re waiting, like singing a song or playing a quiet game.

For parents encouraging social and emotional skills, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is a new learning tool and resource. The new series is inspired by the groundbreaking PBS series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Years ago, Fred Rogers pioneered a social-emotional curriculum with Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and now research has confirmed what Fred knew all along – social-emotional skills are vital for success in school and in life. Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood brings Fred Rogers’ landmark curriculum to a new generation of kids to help support this critical learning.