Building confidence
•Talk positively with your child about school • •Use praise and encouragement to make them feel good about themselves • •Take time to talk to your child and encourage them to join in conversations, answer their questions • •Read to your child, point out pictures and discuss the story – always seek to make the experience enjoyable. • •Count for funBeing independent
•Getting dressed/undressed – make it fun! •Personal hygiene: toilet, blowing nose, washing hands. •Viewing themselves as a helperThe following are some ideas to help you prepare your child for school:
« The development and use of communication and language are essential elements in a child’s learning. The more fluency they can achieve in spoken language the more they will understand. Listening and speaking provide a good foundation for reading. Please let us know if you have any concerns about your child in this area.
« Reading to your child, visiting the library, sharing the pictures in a book, talking about the stories, spotting road signs, clapping syllables, listening out for rhyming words and playing matching games, are all important pre-reading skills that will help your child.
« Play games that involve sharing and turn taking to raise your child’s awareness of the needs and feelings of others.
« Encourage your child to be as independent as possible i.e. getting dressed especially shoes and socks, as well as doing up buttons.
« Personal hygiene (talking through how to blow their nose, being toilet trained and able to wipe their bottom etc.)
« Cutting a range of different papers and materials really helps to develop your child's fine motor skills and helps them to understand the importance of scissor safety
« Jigsaw puzzles are very good for helping children to develop good co-ordination and concentration.
« If they show an interest, do some writing with your child. Capital letters should only be used for the first sound in their names.
« Counting can be done anywhere and everywhere- count stairs, buttons, sweets, foot-steps. Talk about quantities- more/ less/ same. Also looking for shapes, counting the number for sides, corners etc.
Explanation of school terms
Reception/Early Years/EYFS - your child’s first year at school
Early Years Team-staff including teachers and Teaching Assistants working in Early Years
LSA-Learning Support Assistant who help to support your child at school
Key Stage 1 (KS1)- children aged between 5 and 7, in Years 1 or 2 at school (Infants)
Key Stage 2 (KS2)- children aged between 7 and 11, in Years 3,4,5 or 6 at school (Juniors)
PTA- Parent Teacher Association
Inclusion Manager/SENDCO- who co-ordinates support for children with Special Educational Needs
PSED- Personal Social and Emotional Development