Supporting the First Year of School and Beyond

School readiness is the start. Supporting the first year and the early elementary years requires sustained partnership with school and continued attention to development. This applied course teaches that integration. By the end of this course you will be able to support your child through the first year of school, build a working relationship with teachers, handle common challenges including friendship and academic transitions, and sustain support into early elementary years. What you will learn: - Approaches to the first weeks of kindergarten including communication and routines - Approaches to building a working relationship with teachers including conferences - Approaches to handling early friendship challenges and classroom dynamics - Approaches to academic transitions including the shift to first grade - Approaches to handling differences and concerns including evaluations when appropriate - Approaches to balancing school, family, and other commitments - Approaches to sustaining the partnership through early elementary years The course is structured around six applied modules. Each produces a written artifact: a first-year support plan, a teacher relationship approach, a friendship support plan, an academic transition plan, a concerns response plan, and a long-term partnership reflection. This course is written for parents whose children are entering or in the first years of school. By the end you will have moved from school readiness as a one-time prep to sustained partnership with school that supports your child's development across the early years.