Being School Ready

Starting School is Exciting!

Remember to be positive, reassuring, confident, supportive, cheerful and enthusiastic about it.

A month or so before the date that your child is due to begin school, we will contact you to arrange a date for transition visits for your child. During these visits your child will join in with part of the day’s programme. We have outlined some of the skills which are important for when children start school. While everyone knows that children develop at different rates and schools accept children as they are, these are some of the ways you can help your child to be prepared for school so that they settle in easily and happily in the first few months at school.

School Readiness Checklist

Help your child make a smooth transition to school by teaching them to do these tasks unaided.

Pack and close their school bag.
Put a lid on and off their lunch box and drink bottle.
Change clothes without assistance (this includes shoes: velcro-type shoes are easiest for five year olds).
Go to the toilet without assistance.
Hold a pencil.
Write or recognise their own name.
Sit still and concentrate on an activity for a period of at least 5 minutes.
Count to at least 10.
Know the names of colours.
Be familiar with concepts such as longest, shortest, small, big, before, after, middle, up, down, across, too many, not enough, same, different, next to, below, above.
Look at the teacher and answer a question.
Follow simple instructions e.g. hang up your bag and take your books out.
Take care of their own belongings