Ease the Transition to School with Simple Steps to Help Your Child Feel Confident and Ready
Starting school is an exciting time for young children, but It can be a daunting time, too. But with a little preparation and encouragement, most children will settle in easily at school.
We have been working with your child to ensure they are feeling school-ready, and we thought we would share some things that you could do at home to help both you and your child in the weeks leading up to this transition:
We have been working with your child to ensure they are feeling school-ready, and we thought we would share some things that you could do at home to help both you and your child in the weeks leading up to this transition:
1) Uniform – Has your child tried on their school uniform? Not only will this help you feel organised by knowing that you have all the uniform needed and that everything fits, but trying on the uniform several times before the first school morning can help your child get used to how it feels, the colour, the badge, school shoes and putting it all on and off easily.
2) Get in the school routine – A morning routine benefits everyone involved! Having regular routines before your child starts school is a good idea. Think about making bedtime, morning, and after school routines more predictable. Familiarise your child with the school run, or make laying out their clothes for the following day, packing their bag and a bedtime story all part of the usual bedtime routine.
outines can help us all feel safer; knowing what to expect can remove some guesswork and stress.
3) Express emotions – Starting school is a big thing for your child, so naturally, it could stir up big feelings! Your child may be worried and anxious, they may be excited and over-stimulated, they may feel and show their emotions more strongly than others – it may be that they express themselves in ways that you were not expecting – this is all completely normal.
Don’t be afraid to discuss any difficult feelings your child may have about school or the current situation. Try to listen carefully, take their worries seriously and see things from their point of view.
4) Visits to school – Take advantage of all ‘stay & plays’ and visits your child’s new school offers. Help them get familiar with their new teacher by saying the teacher’s name when talking about school.
You can look at the school website to see what information and pictures are available about the school environment and teachers.
Could you practise walking to school to familiarise your child with the route they will be taking when they start school?
5) Books – Books about starting school are a great way to help children understand what is happening to them. Reading story books to help children manage the change can offer reassurance that change is ok. It may help start conversations about how your child is feeling and encourage them to ask questions and share their thoughts.
Some popular books about starting school available on Amazon are:
- The Colour Monster Goes to School by Anna Llenas
- Starting School by Allan Ahlberg and Janet Ahlberg
- Let’s Get Ready for School by Jane Porter.
6) Support independent skills – Independent skills will help your child settle into their new school quickly. We work on these skills with your children every day at nursery, but at home, you could also ask your child to hang up their coat and bag, put on their own shoes, and change by themselves. You could also show your child how to fold their clothes and keep them together and ensure they are confident to use the toilet independently.
7) Build excitement – Try to talk about school in a positive way, but keep it from being the only topic of conversation in the weeks leading up to starting school. Tell your child about your own school days – who your first teacher was and what you played at playtime – maybe you have some of your own school pictures you could share with them?
Use imaginative play and pretend you are in school at home – try arts and crafts, let them ‘take the register’ or let them pretend to lead a school assembly.
Most importantly, have fun in the weeks building up to your child starting school – make memories and enjoy the summer!
