Getting ready for school
When we first brought our curled up newborn home the idea of them starting school seemed a distant impossibility. How would this milk-drunk creature unfurl themselves to be able to walk and run, let alone start school, running off with their friends with barely a backward glance?
Are they ready?
Most children will be excited about the prospect of starting school, but sometimes as parents, we worry. We worry about whether we have done enough, taught them enough or given them enough to prepare them for this next stage.
I can almost guarantee that if you are worrying about that, then you absolutely have. Every conversation you have had with your child, each time you have responded to their questions or asked what they’re doing, every park trip, squirrel-spotting game, trip to the shops, or quiet time spent cuddling together, has led them to where they are now, ready to embark on this new adventure.
It doesn’t matter whether they can write their name yet or count to ten. What matters is the innate curiosity they have for the world. This curiosity is what primes children to learn, together with the confidence they have from their relationships with their loved ones.
Getting ready
There are a few practical things you can do to support your child in getting ready for school (but in truth, the school should be getting ready for them).
Getting dressed
You can help them practise putting on shoes (nothing wrong with Velcro!) and their own clothes, as this will help prepare them to get ready for P.E.
Toileting independently
With only one teacher and sometimes a teaching assistant in most reception rooms, it’s useful to ensure that they can go to the toilet by themselves, including wiping effectively and washing their hands. If you’re worried about this, speak directly to their teacher who can help you.
Eating in the dinner hall
Often school children eat in a big dinner hall, and some eat school dinners. Talking to your child about what this might be like is useful for them. You can also support them by practising eating with a knife and fork, and opening drinks et cetera without help. Of course, help will be at hand if necessary, and schools understand that a sometimes-noisy dinner hall can take a bit of getting used to!
Social environment
School is about much more than learning. It’s a very sociable environment, so practising talking and listening to each other is a useful skill, so they know how to talk and listen to their friends. Playing games that require taking turns, such as snakes and ladders or memory card games, are also a great way to encourage your child to wait their turn, which will be an important skill in a classroom. You can also meet up with friends for playdates. You might have met some children who will be in the same class as your child, but if not, any social interaction is good to encourage taking turns and building relationships, which can help, in turn, to build confidence.
The My First Five Years app is filled with great activity ideas to support your child at their current stage of their individual journey, so you will find plenty of ways to practise skills from our six streams, from social and emotional skills to fine and gross motor skills. The activities are fun and easy to set up, for example, an activity might be a memory game, or catching a weighted bean bag.
On the day
It’s natural for your child to perhaps feel a little nervous, so on the day itself you could consider something like ‘finger kisses’, where you kiss the tip of their finger and tell them it will last all day, so if they miss you, they can kiss it. Other ideas include a little heart drawn inside their wrist that they can see to remember you, or a little piece of fabric sewn into a shape they like and placed into a pocket, to provide comfort if they are feeling a little wobbly.
You
How are you feeling about this transition?
As you start to prepare yourself and your child for September, remember that you will continue to play a huge part in their journey. Your child’s learning and development is a partnership between home and school. Despite their increasing independence, your child will need your support, from a cuddle after school, to practising sounding out letters, to telling you all about their day (though they may not be keen to share straight after school when they might be a little tired, which can be hard when you are desperate for the low-down on their first day!).
Remember to be gentle with yourself as well as your child as you both navigate these changes. It is a time of great excitement, but perhaps also a little sadness. Allow yourself to feel whatever you're feeling. And don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back for getting them this far. You’ve done a great job.
