Settling In

Reflective Questions

Questions to ask yourself as a family before visiting a prospective kindergarten

  • What are the most important things that a kindergarten should have available to my child?

  • Is there anything we need support with as a family?

  • How am I feeling about the settling in process?

  • How would I like the kindergarten to support our home culture?

  • What are my reasons for choosing a kindergarten with a different language?

  • What things am I most excited about when my child joins the kindergarten?

Questions to ask the kindergarten on your first day

Logistics

  • What supplies do I need to bring?

  • What is the daily schedule and what is a typical day like?

  • What kind of food will my child be provided with?

SETTLING IN

  • What is the settling in process?

  • How long will I be able to stay with my child during this process?

  • What is my role as a parent during settling in?

  • Should I play or interact with my child or others during settling in?


LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

  • How do you support children from multilingual backgrounds?

  • How can I support my child's language development at home?

  • Are the educators experienced in settling in children with different languages spoken at home?


INTERCULTURAL

  • What holidays will you celebrate with the children?

  • How do you support children from culturally diverse backgrounds?


KINDERGARTEN SPECIFIC

  • How do you handle behavioural challenges or discipline?

  • How can I address any concerns or questions I have for the educators?

  • What curriculum does the kindergarten follow?

  • What is the child to educator ratio?