Beginning School
The day which seemed so far away five years or so ago, has arrived and your child will begin 'formal' education. Many thoughts and emotions will be going through your minds and everyone will have different feelings about this particular time in the lives of yourselves and your children.  Perhaps one of the most important things to remember about this time is that teachers and parents are all different, so while what is said will be true of most teachers, parents or children, it won't be true at all.

Getting Ready for School

Starting school will be a big change for your child.  Probably the hardest part is being away from the family and joining a large group of children.  To assist your child's preparation, here are some things to can get your child used to over the next months:

·        Dressing and undressing

·        Tying and untying shoe laces

·        Eating and drinking without help

·        Using a handkerchief or tissue

 It is important that your child knows how to:

·        Use and flush the toilet without assistance

·        Say his/her name and address

·        Cross a road safely

Is my child ready for Kindergarten?  If so, what does he/she have to know?

 What children are is so much more important than what they know.  Here are some questions which may help you assess your child.

·        Is she/he emotionally and physically independent for his/her age?

·        Does he/she trust adults outside the family sufficient to be able to transfer his/her necessary dependence to a teacher?

·        Is he/she self-confident, secure in love and understanding of his/her parents, able to get along well with his/her peers, with older children, with adults?

·        Is he/she willing to share and take turns, to co-operate with others most of the time?

·        Is he/she curious about what is happening around him/her, interested in learning new things?

·        Is he/she able to communicate verbally with others?

·        Does he/she usually tidy up after himself/herself and accept the responsibility of using and caring for equipment in a proper manner?

If you can answer yes to most of the questions, then your child is ready for school irrespective of what he/she knows.

Before School Begins
In the last few weeks before school begins:

 ·        Begin to build in your child confidence that school will be rich and rewarding.

·        Try to avoid over-stress, often unrealistic expectations can cause disappointment.

·        Walk around the school so your child become familiar with the surroundings.

  Before Starting School

   CAN YOUR CHILD?

¨ Say their name and address

¨ Recognise their name

¨ Write their first name

¨ Recognise their lunchbox

¨ Sit and listen to a story

¨ Select their “Big Lunch” and “Little Lunch”

¨ Go to the toilet and wash their hands

¨ Put on and take off their jumper and shoes:

1. Do up buttons

2. Tie their shoe laces

3. Blow their nose

4. Use pencils and crayons

5. Cut with scissors

6. Watch and listen to “Playschool”.