Starting school can be a traumatic time for you and your children, but it is important that your concerns about your child's readiness to read and write don't make you overlook other essential skills that your child will need in reception year.
When talking to teachers, I found that they rated children's good personal skills and ability to look after themselves and follow directions as more important than good literacy and numeracy skills.
'The best children are the ones who can put up their own bag, and say hi to me when they arrive,' said one teacher. 'A child who can blow their own nose and wash their own hands is going to do well!' said another.
Staff at your child's future school, and at your child's current early years setting if they attend one, can keep you informed about what and how your child will learn in reception year and how to prepare them for that learning. They can also talk you through school routines.
You can then devote some time during the summer months to develop your child's independence and ability to feel comfortable with new routines.
It is often tempting to simply do things for your child, but they will make a more confident start at school if they can do things for themselves.
One teacher even advised parents, 'Forget formal learning and concentrate on your child looking after themselves' Another noted, 'If the children can look after themselves, I can look after their learning.'
Looking after themselves The school day will involve various routines when children will have to do things for themselves. Before class even begins, they may be expected to:
* hang their coat and bag on a hook with their name on it
* take their water bottle into class
* attach their name to a registration board.
So, before your child starts school, try to ensure that they are able to:
* toilet themselves independently
* wash their hands, turning the taps
* blow their own nose with a tissue
* know whether they need to wear a jersey or hat
* unpack their own bag
* put away their own possessions
* put on their shoes and socks.
Even on your child's first day at school, it is best if they can do some things for themselves. Encourage them, remind them of what needs to be done and praise their efforts.
Instructions Being able to follow instructions will be a great benefit to your child at school. Positional words help children follow instructions to get in a line, find a place to sit, and to read, write and learn about maths. They are important words! So, before your child starts school, make sure they understand the meaning of:
* behind
* in front
* below
* underneath
* beside
* on top
* in the middle
* next to
* to the right/left
* above
* through.
Try to use them in your instructions with children so they can practise following directions.
Routines
Morning and night
* Get your child to pack their bag the night before and lay out their school clothes with them.
* Provide your child with a big enough bag. Many bags look cute but just aren't large enough to carry a jersey, water bottle, book and lunch, and having too small a bag will only increase your child's likelihood of losing things.
* Work on before-school routines in the weeks leading up to the start of term. Even doing a few dummy runs to school in the morning can help.
* If you are worried about how you and your child are going to feel, practise saying goodbyes at home cheerfully. Explain where you will be during those first few days and reassure your child you are only a phone call away.
Meal times
To accustom your child to the more structured eating times in a school day, eat at set times before school starts. Make sure your child can:
* open their own lunchbox and drink bottle
* open the food wrappings
* recognise which foods they should eat first (sandwich before cake)
* select a good item for a snack, leaving the rest for lunch.
Involve your child in selecting items for their lunchbox to increase the likelihood of them eating the contents.
Rachel Goodchild is a teacher in New Zealand
