Preparing your child for the start of school will help them feel more confident about the big changes in ahead. We have compiled some ideas and tips that you can do at home in the months leading up to the start at school.
10 tips to help your child get ready for Prep
1. Encourage your child to interact with other children of a similar age. Spend time conversing with your child. Share your experiences through drawing.
2. Go to the park often. Physical exercise is very important to develop gross motor skills. Fine motor skills can be developed through manipulative exercises such as playing with play dough and blocks.
3. Encourage your child to play with others. Teach the importance taking turns. This can be achieved by playing simple games like “Snakes and Ladders” and “I Spy”.
4. Read bedtime stories each night to develop vocabulary.
5. Teach your child to recognise and write his or her name.
6. Teach your child to clean up after him or herself.
7. It is very important that your child sees starting school as a positive experience. Highlight to your child all the wonderful experiences that school will provide like meeting new friends, doing enjoyable activities…
8. Show your child how to dress him or herself, including removing a jumper, fastening and unfastening shoes or sandals and putting on an art smock. The important message is that your child needs to be able to do these tasks independently, much patience may be required but the end result will be worth it. It will happen eventually.
9. Students need to know how to toilet themselves. Make sure your child washes his or her hands thoroughly. Teach your child to use a tissue properly and the importance of personal hygiene such as covering his or her mouth when sneezing or coughing.