School Readiness
Hi all!
Thank you for coming to read our first blog entry on the Denmead Pre-School website! We’re excited to try this new avenue to connect with our families and wider community, so we appreciate the engagement and any likes, comments, and shares.
On April 16th many of our families will be finding out which school their children will be continuing their learning journey into from September, and we know this can throw up all kinds of emotions, both positive and more challenging ones too. Children starting ‘big school’ is a big moment, a really exciting time as well as a big change for the whole family. So as a team, we thought it would be helpful for our first blog entry to focus on ‘school readiness’ as you look forward to September!
So, what is ‘School Readiness’? It is basically referring to how well prepared a child is to make the adjustment into school, physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually. There are lots of things that both childcare providers and you can do that will help prepare them for this next step. A lot of it you will find you do at home anyway and have been doing since they were babies! 90% of your child’s brain growth happens before the age of 5, so these moments you have shared have been crucial to their development.
Exploring skills:
In pre-school we follow the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) curriculum, which is continued on as they start reception class. They will take part in some formal learning, such as phonics and maths but this will start with short, focussed sessions. For most of the day, learning will take place through play, just like at pre-school. Support your child at home to prepare for this by:
· Taking part in imaginative play.
· Drawing, painting, colouring, sticking.
· Counting, building, doing puzzles.
· Sharing books with caregivers, talking about the pictures, characters and events.
· Exploring the natural world around them.
Communication, Social and Language Skills:
Through playing at home and while out and about your child is going to encounter other children and family members, this is a great opportunity to practice some social skills, such as:
· Sharing and taking turns.
· Notice and talk to your child about how they are feeling (you can do this with characters in stories and on TV too)
· Encouraging children to set boundaries for themselves e.g. practice saying ‘no’ to unwanted or unsafe behaviour.
· Problem solving e.g. what should you do if a child snatches a toy from you?
· Practice asking for help.
· Talk about their experiences e.g. recalling what they’ve done in a day to another family member.
· Sing along with songs or nursery rhymes.
· Recognising the pattern of their name written down.
Practical and Independence skills:
Here is a list of skills that you can practice and help your child become more confident and independent in preparation for school:
· Putting on/taking off their coat and shoes.
· Using the toilet, and washing their hands.
· Getting dressed with little help.
· Using cutlery and drinking from an open cup
· Spending time away from their main caregiver, learning that they can feel safe by other caring adults such as teachers.
Before starting reception it’s usual for school to offer a couple of ‘stay and plays’ so your child can get used to their new environment. There will also be a home visit, where your child’s new teacher and learning support teacher will come to visit you at home to get to know you and your child a little better. If you have any questions or concerns about your child starting school, please don’t hesitate to email us or come in for a chat at pre-school. For some further reading, advice and practical ideas, try one of the websites below!
www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people/articles/zxpc8p3
https://documents.hants.gov.uk/childrensservices/schoolreadinessleaflet.pdf
Thank you for reading!
Denmead Pre School
