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Is your child ready to take the next step in life and start ‘BIG SCHOOL’? Starting school is a big step for children, and it is important that they are ready emotionally and mentally. Time flies when you’re having fun, and I bet you never thought the day would come where you would have to enrol your child in school. The main struggle many parents have during this time is whether their child is ready to attend kindergarten.
“Children are not things to be moulded, but people to be unfolded” - Jess Lair
The big question… When is the right time? It is important that your child is emotionally and socially prepared for this next stage in their life. There are some simple questions you might want to ask yourself before you make your decision.
- Can my child make an independent decision and follow through on it?
- Does my child have ideas of their own?
- Does my child ask questions and show an interest in learning?
- Can my child follow two or three instructions at the same time?
- Does my child interact with other children?
- Can my child recognise and express their feelings and needs?
- Can my child concentrate on a task?
- How does my child deal with their frustration?
What is school readiness? This refers to a child’s readiness to make a smooth and successful transition and integration into the school environment and its routines and expectation. It is important for children to have a range of skills including social, language, play, physical and self-care abilities. School readiness is extremely important as it allows teachers to expand and further develop a child’s skills in the areas they need. These basic skills help a child make a smooth transition into the school environment.
School readiness program for preschoolers: important building blocks every child needs
| Self-regulation | The ability to manage, obtain and maintain emotions and behaviours. Can change emotions and self-regulate for specific tasks or situations |
| Sensory processing | The ability to process sensory stimulation in the environment |
| Understanding | Comprehension of spoken language (vocabulary, instructions, questions, concepts) for group instructions as well as pee interaction |
| Expressive language | The ability to formulate sentences that have age-appropriate grammar and word order - using specific vocabulary and telling a simple story. |
| Articulation | The ability to clearly pronounce individual sounds in words and sentences |
| Executive functioning | Reasoning and thinking skills |
| Emotional development | The ability to perceive emotion, integrate emotions to facilitate thought, understand emotions and regulate emotions. |
| Social skills | Engaging with others - both verbally and non-verbally |
| Planning and sequencing | The ability to multi-task and achieve a well-defined result |
What is a school readiness program?
Many childcare centres offer school readiness programs enabling children to enhance their developmental skills in key learning areas such as literacy, numeracy and self-help skills. School readiness programs for preschoolers help children develop these skills and assist them for the long term success at school. These preschool learning programs help children build positive relationships with others and develop strong self-esteem, further assisting them to make an effective transition from childcare into school.
Developmental skills to support preschoolers: learning programs
To ensure your child is ready for school, there is a range of skills and activities you can incorporate at home or at pre-school. These following developmental skills are an essential part of a child’s short and long term success when starting school.
- Cognitive skills to support preschoolers to:
- Show curiosity and interest in learning new things
- Have the confidence to learn
- Be interested and show a willingness to solve problems
- Language skills to support preschoolers to:
- Ask questions and communicate
- Listen to others
- Enjoy listening to stories and being read to
- Social and emotional skills to support preschoolers to:
- Participate in play
- Approach children in a positive way and make new friends
- Show an interest in others and make friends
- Express individual needs and wants
- Cope and deal with conflict in an appropriate manner.
- Express emotions
- Self-help skills to support preschoolers to:
- Use the toilet unassisted
- Dress and undress independently
- Unpack own lunch box and drinks
- Physical skills to support preschoolers to:
- Run and jump
- Use sports equipment
- Use pencils and colouring equipment
At Young Academics, we offer a transition to school program for children aged 4-5 years old. Our program approaches school readiness with careful and equal focus on physical, cognitive and emotional development, nourishing your child's full potential. Our passionate educators work in partnership with families, providing intentional teaching and play-based, tailored programs for each child based on their individual goals and developmental summaries.
Enquire today on 1300 668 993
