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Rona Anduha of Kane'ohe tries to make every moment a learning moment for Micah, her 5-year-old son. Whether it's going for a stroll, growing a flower garden or visiting a park, Anduha looks for ways to teach Micah something new.

Micah starts kindergarten in August. "I want him to be ready to do whatever he has to do in school," said Anduha, 42.

It's crucial for parents to take such steps to prepare their children for kindergarten, said Liz Chun, executive director of Good Beginnings Alliance, a local organization dedicated to ensuring children are ready to succeed in school.

"The better prepared children are at the start of kindergarten, the more likely they will be successful in school," Chun said. "With children entering a totally new environment in kindergarten, there are a whole new set of expectations for them, both socially and academically."

The worst-case scenario is that everyone involved — child, parents and teacher — will go through long periods of stress during this transition from home or preschool to kindergarten, said Iwalani Harris, curriculum coordinator at Kea'au Elementary School on the Big Island.

"This first impression can be a lasting one that can affect how the child views himself as a learner," said Harris, who is also a teacher with Keiki Steps to Kindergarten, a summer program for parents and children that prepares them for kindergarten. (See box on E1.)

Kindergarten is one of the first steps in a lifelong journey in education, Harris said.

"We all want this first experience to be positive," Harris said. "A part of that positive experience is being prepared for the social, emotional, physical and mental requirements of kindergarten."

Since Micah was an infant, Anduha and her husband, Mike, have incorporated educational books, music and toys into his play time.

Most recently, in addition to preschool, Anduha has helped Micah prep for kindergarten by continuing to read books with him, practicing writing letters together and singing songs about counting.

They also dedicate a certain time of the day to "play school" to get Micah used to the kindergarten routine and they often visit exhibits at Bishop Museum or Hawaii Children's Discovery Center.

"Just being able to turn something that can be pretty academic and serious, and making it fun, they love that," said Anduha, an educational consultant. "They want to do it and they want to spend that time with you."

Such early learning activities can help children come to school with a readiness and excitement about learning, Chun said.

"The more confident a child is, the safer they feel taking risks," Chun said.

And prepping your child for kindergarten is so much more than readying them for a new grade level, Anduha said.

"It's your child's future, your (child's) foundation for learning," Anduha said.