Being well prepared for school encompasses more than literacy and numeracy such as stencils and writing names. Additionally, the transition to school does not need to be a separate part of the program. As educators, we emphasise building children’s resilience and self-help skills, developing their confidence and respect, as well as their relationship and communication skills. It is about the skills and attributes to engage in life-long learning and this interestingly, begins at birth.

Here are some of the most important skills your child will need to have a successful transition to school and ways you can support this at home

Social competence – this involves a set of abilities that enable children to independently navigate their social world, to interact with peers and adults, to form friendships, and to understand the needs of others.

Emotional adaptability– the ability to adapt to new circumstances, effectively interact with other individuals and show resilience during challenging moments. This is a determining factor for success and personal well-being.

Cognition – this is how our brains acquire knowledge and understanding. Cognitive develop supports a child’s evolving play skills, the language they use and how they think, learn, explore and problem solve.

Physical health & Wellbeing – this refers to motor coordination, and fine and gross motor enable children to interact with and manipulate their physical environment. Physical health also includes children’s management of their health and hygiene, good nourishment, rest and physical comfort

Literacy & Numeracy – this is about receptive & expressive language, communication, drawing, recognition of name and mark making, awareness of numbers and numerals. It is about creating the foundation of the literacy and numeracy that will occur at school

A few strategies for home:

• Encourage social interaction with other children & role model and support listening and turn taking,
• Play family games and ensure everyone has a win
• Arrive to your early childhood service / centre preferably before 9.30am. This is a great opportunity to get into the school routine
• Offer your child choices such as “what shirt would you like to wear today?” and offer 2-3 options
• Share household tasks / chores so everyone is part of the team
• Use resilient language such as “that’s ok, let’s try again”
• Role model how to talk about emotions and remember tantrums are OK- your child just needs your support to understand their feelings at that time, rather than stop them
• Go on family adventures- get outside, go for a walk, go to the park, dance, sing, laugh….
• Read stories, talk about stories and images and read some more!
• Limit screen time especially at meals and before bed
• Sleep is IMPORTANT! Children need about 10 + hours sleep per night, getting to bed by 8pm will support this.
• Create routines at home for sleep, meals, TV time etc.
• Limit the sugar and preservatives
• Sit at the dinner table together and chat- everyone can share something about their day
• Go into situations and role model curiosity. A curious mind is a mind always learning

At Kinda-Mindi we place great value on ensuring all children have the best start for their transition to school and implement a holistic approach supporting the above skills. This can be viewed via our Transition to School Guide with additional support strategies for families to try at home.                      Feel free to reach out for a copy.