Intended as a guide to help parents of children from birth to age 5 teach their children the skills needed to make kindergarten a experience, this book consists of an introduction and seven chapters on various aspects of preparing young children for kindergarten. Checklists for parents are included in each chapter. The Introduction discusses what parents need to know about themselves and about kindergarten. Chapter 1 describes eight things parents need to know to bring out the best in their child. Chapter 2 discusses what every child should be able to communicate before entering kindergarten. Chapter 3 lists and describes the large and small motor skills children need to succeed in kindergarten, while chapter 4 describes the social and emotional skills that will make kindergarten easy for children. Chapter 5 describes early learning activities and chapter 6 suggests self-help skills that make kindergarten enjoyable for children. The last chapter deals with making decisions about kindergarten entrance age and preparing the child for the separation on the first day of school. A parent information form, a checklist of children's behaviors and habits, and a list of fun books to read with children conclude the volume. (DR)