Getting Ready for Kindergarten

Speech and language skills are important for helping children learn, make friends, stay healthy, and take part in everyday activities.

• If your child is having difficulties with speech and language, get help right away. Talk to your health care provider and contact a speech language pathologist to book a communication assessment.
• Speech and language services for preschool-aged children and their families are available at no cost through Surrey Place.
• Getting help early will make it easier for your child to learn in kindergarten and beyond.

When Children Speak More Than One Language

• It’s okay to speak your home language with your child. You don’t need to switch to English to help them get ready for kindergarten.
• Research shows that children learn a new language more easily when they are strong in their first language.
• Keep talking to your child in the language you know best.
• For more information on helping your child learn more than one language, visit When Children Speak More than One Language from Best Start. Resources are available in multiple languages.

Vaccinations help protect your child and the entire school community.

• When you register for kindergarten, you’ll be asked for a copy of your child’s immunization records.
• It’s your responsibility to make sure that Toronto Public Health has your child’s immunization record as well. Learn how to submit your child’s immunization records on our Report Student Vaccination page.
• Toronto Public Health accepts and translates immunization records in various languages.
• To learn more about the vaccines required for children starting school, see the Childhood Vaccines Quick Reference Guide.

For more information, visit our Vaccines for Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers page.

Healthy eyes and vision are important for how children play and learn.

• It’s recommended that all children have a comprehensive eye exam before starting school.
• Children may not know they have a vision problem — they often assume everyone sees the same way they do.
• 1 in 4 children may have a problem with their vision.
• Finding and fixing vision problems early helps children do better in school.
• Children in Junior Kindergarten may be eligible for a free pair of glasses. Visit the Eye See, Eye Learn Program website to learn more and find a participating optometrist near you.

Routines can help children feel less worried and stressed when they face new things, like meeting new people and starting school.

Contact your child’s school to get familiar with their daily schedule. Over the summer, try to plan your morning, bedtime, meals and other daily activities to match the school routine.

Tips for Creating Routines:

• Make it short, predictable and consistent.
• Break routines into small steps.
• Use visuals, like a chart with pictures, to help your child remember steps in the routine.
• Encourage and praise your child’s efforts.
• Involve the whole family in the routine.
• Make it fun!

Good oral health starts early. Helping your child build healthy dental habits now can prepare them for kindergarten and support a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.

Brushing Tips:

• Brush your child’s teeth twice a day and floss once a day.
• Help your child brush for 2 – 3 minutes, in the morning and at bedtime, and after meals, if possible.
• Use a pea-sized amount of children’s toothpaste, once your child can spit it out.
• Encourage your child to spit out the toothpaste after brushing.
• Start flossing when your child’s teeth start touching.
• Be a role model: brush your teeth with your child.
• Replace your child’s toothbrush every 3 – 4 months or after illness.
• Never share toothbrushes.
• Help your child brush their teeth until about age 7

Healthy Eating:

• Teeth and gums need many essential vitamins and minerals to stay strong and healthy.
• Offer healthy snacks and limit sugary foods or drinks, including juice. Water should be the main drink for children.
• If your child eats sugary or sticky foods like raisins, have your child rinse their mouth with water afterward.

Learn more about encouraging healthy eating on our Tips on Feeding Your Toddler & Preschooler page.

Visiting the dentist:

• Visit the dentist regularly to keep your child’s teeth healthy.
• Financial help is available for families without dental insurance. Visit our Free Dental Care page to learn more.

For more information visit our Dental & Oral Health Services page.

Many schools encourage children to be fully toilet trained before starting kindergarten. Most children are ready between the ages of 2 and 4, but every child learns at their own pace.

Tips for Toilet Learning:

• Look for signs that your child is ready.
• Go slowly, be patient and stay consistent.
• Dress your child in clothes that are easy to pull down and up. This helps them use the toilet by themselves.
• Teach your child to say when they need to use the toilet.
• Contact your child’s school if your child needs support with using the toilet.

To learn more, visit:

• Toilet Learning – Toronto Public Health
• Toilet Learning – Canadian Pediatric Society