The five chapters in this handbook, intended for parents of children entering kindergarten for the first time, offer suggestions about how parents can make starting kindergarten a successful and happy event for their child, and how parents can help their child get ready for school. The first chapter contains sections that describe when learning begins, and that offer tips for helping children who are starting school and for handling opening day jitters. The second chapter focuses on knowing more about 4- and 5-year-old children, and offers suggestions for monitoring children's health, happiness, anger, and safety. The third chapter is devoted to parents' learning about the child's teacher, the contents of the school program, school laws, and the school's methods of testing children. The fourth chapter discusses before- and after-school care and offers guidelines for examining types of care available, finding care, and determining whether the child care offered fits the parents' needs. The final chapter explains the parents' role in their child's education and suggests activities to help the child succeed in and out of school. An appendix provides lists that detail actions involved in good parenting and skills for parents to develop to deal in a constructive manner with their or their child's anger. Numerous drawings in ink and pencil illustrate the text. (HOD)