How can we prepare our children for starting school?

Have you got a little one due to start school in September? How are you feeling about the prospect? I am sure there are many of you with mixed emotions when thinking about your children starting school. They have grown from babies, to toddlers, to independent little preschoolers and now it's time for their next step. It is such a huge milestone and is very exciting but also can be daunting for all involved. I'm sure many of you are wondering how best to prepare your little one for this step? Over the years as a reception teacher I have heard many parents of preschoolers panic about writing their name perfectly, learning to recognise numbers and practising phonics over the summer to help with reading. Whilst all of these things are fab if your child is at the stage where they are ready, these really aren't the most important things. Children have time to learn these skills when they start school and if they don't recognise these things yet that's OK, and more to the point, it's perfectly normal at 4 years old. In my experience and opinion there are other skills that are far more fundamental. ▪️Spend time sharing stories together - Reading with your child will always be beneficial to them. Not just for the security and comfort of sharing a book with someone they love, but also because it helps to develop their vocabulary and imagination. It is important to talk about the events, the characters and their feelings. Children often relate stories to their own life and may open up about how they feel too. ▪️Focus on listening skills - Play listening and attention games together and encourage your child to follow simple instructions. Turn taking and sharing games are also fab for preparing children for school. Communication, attention and listening are such important skills for young children. Our phase 1 early phonics posts on Instagram may help with some ideas. Follow us @learnwithrose to see these posts. ▪️Encourage independence with everyday tasks - Can your little one wash their own hands yet? Are they able to use the toilet independently? Pour their own drink or find their own coat? If not now is a great time to work on these skills. Children feel far more confident when they start school if they are independent as they are able to do things for themselves and often feel proud of this. ▪️Developing arm, wrist, hand and finger muscles - You may have heard the terms 'fine motor' and 'gross motor skills'. These phrases refer to muscle development that helps with general movement and writing skills. Developing these skills can be lots of fun through activities such as sweeping, scooping, painting, using dough and rolling pins, threading and using pegs. These and many more activities are not only enjoyable but help children to strengthen all the muscles that they need for writing. I will be writing a blog in the near future specifically about developing these physical skills. The most important thing is to consider your child's emotional wellbeing - You know your child better than any school, teacher or child care provider does. Trust your instincts when it comes to preparing your child for school. Each child is unique and completely individual. They may need to chat about school, walk past the playground a couple of times over the summer, or read books about starting school to help discuss their feelings. They may also just need to enjoy their summer and have fun with their family and friends without thinking too much about starting school (some children just take it all in their stride). The most important thing to say is that there is no one right way to prepare your child or yourselves for that matter. All schools have slightly different approaches and 'expectations' but the reality is that teachers have children with a huge range of different personalities, needs and abilities in their classes and are experienced and trained to teach each individual child. They teach children based on their unique stage of development and interests, and in the way that works best for the child. So whatever your child can or cannot do yet, don't worry. We are all unique and they will get there in their own time. For now... Enjoy the summer 😊