Help Parents Prepare Their Child For School
As a Kindergarten teacher, there are always parents; especially first-time parents, with plenty of questions about how they can best prepare their child for their first year of school.
There are many tips you can offer to parents for school readiness. They are all advisable yet not compulsory as we know that children come to school with all different abilities.
I would recommend that parents work on the following things with their children;
practice writing their name in lower case
familiar with holding a pencil correctly
practice counting to ten and backwards from ten. If they can do that practice counting to twenty and backwards from twenty
have been read to e.g. have them hold the book the right way, point to the words, predict what will come next in rhyming books
practice opening lunch boxes and packets or otherwise parents should cut the packet so the child can get into them. Do not assume teachers will help. Of course, they will, but germs!
wear their new shoes in to avoid discomfort and blisters at school
are able to go to the toilet independently and wash their hands once completed. A teacher will never wipe your child’s butt
have all their clothing labelled or be prepared to never see it again
have all belongings labelled such as lunchboxes and drink bottles
wear shoes with velcro straps if they are unable to do shoelaces up
Parents may also like to share picture books such as Daisy’s First Day and The Kissing Hand that will help prepare their child for school.
Preparing a school readiness pack for parents to receive at Kindergarten Orientation is a good way to share these ideas.
What do you feel young children need prior to starting at school? We would love it if you joined the conversation and left a comment below.
