Dear Kindy Parents, From Teachers
An letter to the first-time parents of children beginning school;
It is all going to be okay. Your child is going to be okay.
Don’t worry if your child doesn’t yet know the alphabet or can’t count. Don’t believe anyone who tells you otherwise. It is not critical. That’s what teachers are for. That’s what they come to school for. They learn those foundational skills in their first year at school.
But…
I do need your help though. Spend your time at home instead, concentrating on self-help skills. This is more important than them being able to identify all the colours in the rainbow or saying numerous rhyming words.
Please…
teach your child to do their shoelaces, unless you’re buying them shoes with velcro straps or buckles
teach your child to open their open chip, biscuit, muesli bar wrappers or otherwise cut a slit each morning so they can do it themselves - for parents, it is so easy and quick to open it for them, but when teachers are surrounded by twenty kids at recess asking for their packets to be opened, you get a bit over it
teach your child to write their name in lower case, not in capital letters - capital letters are for the first letter of names only
pack the spare undies in their bag and tell your child they are there. Accidents are going to happen
label everything with your child’s name - clothing, hat, drink bottle, containers, books. Your child is bound to lose something. Labelled items have a greater chance of making it back to your child
correct your child’s speech - it may sound cute to you but could possibly lead to teasing at school. It is harder to change speech habits developed the older they get. Get it right from the beginning.
focus on pencil grip, remind them how to hold their pencil correctly. Holding it incorrectly causes pain and issues later in life - their future self will thank you
get your child to school at least ten minutes before the bell. Your child will have time to put their bag down, catch up with friends, have a little play. Being late to school is a frustration for teachers, we start teaching from the moment the bell goes. It is a big disruption. Attendance matters
we do appreciate to know if something is going on at home, it is not because we are busy bodies but because it can tell us a lot about the behaviour of the child, and we can better support them during this time
Teachers, are helpful and will help your child, but it is so appreciated when children can do things for themselves. Independence is a good thing.
Do you have any other advice to share with newbie parents? Or if you are a parent and you have a question about school, please feel free to join the conversation and leave a comment below.
