Even children who have been used to being cared for by others may, as they enter school, develop a fear of being apart from their parents. Once again, this reaction is not necessarily a sign of regression but can be due to their increased awareness of the world's dangers. Children who have recently undergone major changes in their lives, such as the birth of a sibling or a move, may become even more clingy as they adjust to the change. Some of the ways you can help your preschool child deal with separation are. Develop a ritual for your leave taking. For example, each morning before you leave your child at school, sing a particular song that your child enjoys. When you say good-bye, develop a special way of waving to each other. In this way, your child has a chance to be a part of and exercise more control over the situation.

On the way to preschool, don't focus on the time you'll be apart from your child. Talk about the fun things she'll do at school, the weather, or her new shoes. Avoid reassurances that she'll be just fine without you. ` Offer support, not sympathy. If your child begins to cry or whine at the preschool or does he interact with the other children? Has anything happened that frightened or upset him? Has she noticed any change in his behavior? Listen for her suggestions and advice. If the teacher isn't taking your concerns seriously or can't address them to your satisfaction, talk to the school administrator. Perhaps a change to a different class is in order. If you feel the program has not proven to be adequate for your child, you may want to encourage him to finish the term, then look for another nursery school with a more appropriate program. Also consider spending some time at the school to observe your son's group. If you uncover anything actually or potentially dangerous- such as teachers being unresponsive to children's needs, children behaving in dangerous ways, or anything else that does not seem right to you-it would be wise to take him out of the program now rather than waiting. More likely, however, if you sense your child is simply having a bit of trouble adjusting to the new routine, urge him to stick it out. Let him know that you trust him to make the adjustment.

The important thing this year is for your child's interest in books and reading to continue to grow. She also needs to become increasingly familiar with the reading process-learning to look at the words from left to right and from top to bottom of the page. She needs to feel free to take on the role of author herself, having her dictated stories transcribed for her to "read" back to you, drawing pictures to illustrate her ideas, and experimenting with using written words. Spelling should not be a focus of these early attempts at writing. Become familiar with the teaching methods your child's teacher