Help prep preschoolers for kindergarten by giving parents these kindergarten-preparation tips:

1. Count Everything: Tell parents to keep their kids counting, says Patty Gottwald, a preschool teacher in Ludington, MI. "Have them counting things all the time -- count steps to the bedroom, count the shoes by the door," she explains. Plus, don't forget letters. "Keep them looking for letters: "I spy a 'B'," Gottwald instructs.

2. Learn To Play Fair: As preschoolers become kindergartners, they need to develop new 'teach-ability' skills: cooperation, following directions, listening skills and increased attention span. Parents can use simple games they may already have at home to help their children build new skills and keeping existing ones sharp, says Gottwald. "Playing games like 'Candy Land' or 'Chutes and Ladders' reinforces lessons about numbers, counting and colors. But games also teach fair play, following the rules, and being a good winner and a good loser."

3. Talk About Big Ideas: To develop the listening skills and increased attention span that will be required in kindergarten, have parents read to their children more often -- and for longer periods of time. "We [tell] parents to take their kids to the library, and if you do nothing else, read to your kids 15 minutes a day," says John Jorgensen, principal of Bluff Elementary School in Clinton IA.

Plus, parents should ask their children questions about the books' content. Discuss the characters and plot of the story, and keep children engaged by asking questions such as "What did you think is going to happen next?" suggests Jorgensen. "Talk about the big idea in the book -- what's the author trying to tell you? Kindergartners and preschoolers can pick it out," he says.