“Experts” Give Advice to Kindergarteners About Becoming 1st Graders

My 1st grade students and I were recently having a discussion about how much they have grown and learned this past school year.

I asked them if they remembered how they felt when they started 1st grade. Then, I asked them what advice they would give a kindergarten child about starting 1st grade this fall.

Some tips were very practical,: “Think before you write, then you won’t have to erase so much.” Some were comforting: “If you get a little scared, let your friends cheer you up.” Some were inspirational: “Even when it’s hard don’t give up.  You’ll find you get it.” And some were profound and grown-up: “You can achieve more than you think.” 

The advice from my students was both heartwarming and on point. Here are other tips from the “experts:”

“Always listen to the teacher and you’ll learn a lot.”

“Think hard and you’ll get smarter.”

“Don’t be afraid to try something new.” 

“It’s just a little harder than kindergarten.”

“Subtraction is the best!”

“You get to see all your friends, and you get to really understand math.”

“You’ll make lots of new friends.”

“In math watch the sign, so you’ll know to do plus or minus.”

“It was great; you learn a lot.”

“Don’t say something is ‘easy’ before you know if it really is.”

And my personal favorite: “Use your words to solve problems.”

Thank you 1st graders for your wonderful, “expert” advice! Thanks too, for working so hard this past year. I’ll miss you!