Starting School
As your child starts to get ready for school there are lots of things you can do at home to support them.
We have added below a school readiness checklist for you. Your child will not be able to do all of these things, it is just a guide for you to work towards. All children are at different stages and work at their own pace.
Sometimes your child can become upset when you start talking to them about school because it is unknown to them. Tell them that it will be a fun place and they will make some new friends. Reassure them they will still do many of the things they presently do at nursery, such as , sand and playdough and outside play.
Sometimes it helps to say ‘next’ or ‘new’ school rather than ‘BIG’ school as this can seem to them a big frightening place. Ask them open questions like, ‘What makes you afraid of school’, to try to understand their fears. It may be a good idea to discuss when they felt nervous before and how they overcome that experience. Reassure them that its normal to feel anxious about starting school, and that’s okay, reminding them you are there to help.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us and we will try to help.
School Readiness Checklist
Social skills
• Uses words to solve problems or conflicts
• Uses words like please, thank you and excuse me
• Adjusts to new situations
• Attempts new tasks knowing it’s okay to make mistakes
• Shows pride in accomplishments
• Follows a simple direction
• Stays with an activity to completion
• Asks for help
• Interacts appropriately with adults and peers
• Respects the rights, property and feelings of others
• Works cooperatively (listens to others, shares and takes turns)
• Demonstrates increasing self-control
• Participates in clean-up activities
• Takes responsibility for own belongings (lunch, coat, etc.)
• Is able to dress self
• Adheres to a routine and schedule for personal hygiene, eating meals and going to bed
• Uses good hygiene habits and table manners
• Uses appropriate bathroom skills
• Follows simple safety rules
• Offers to help peers and family
• Tries to regulate emotions properly and articulates feelings in words
Motor skills
• Puts puzzles together
• Cuts with scissors
• Holds and uses crayons, markers, pens and pencils correctly
• Builds using blocks
• Tries to tie own shoes
• Bounces, kicks, throws and catches a ball
• Rides a tricycle
• Enjoys outdoor activities, like running, jumping and climbing
Reasoning & concept development
• Matches or groups objects according to size, shape or colour
• Groups objects that are the same
• Understands concepts of in/out, under/over, on/off, front/back, etc.
• Shows an understanding of the passing of time, including concepts of before and after, and today, yesterday and tomorrow
• Experiments enthusiastically with new games and toys, sometimes in a trial-and-error manner
• Describes how objects are the same or different
Language skills
• Talks in sentences
• Follows one- and two-step oral directions
• Uses sentences that include two or more ideas
• Uses descriptive language
• Knows by heart and recites some common nursery rhymes and songs
• Pretends, creates and makes up songs or stories
• Tells or retells stories and/or everyday experiences
• Asks questions and expresses curiosity
• Expresses ideas so that others can understand Reading skills
• Looks at books or pictures on their own
• Pretends to read books by reading the pictures
• Tries to read in everyday situations (signs, labels, etc.)
• Recognises rhyming words
• Blends sounds into words
• Recognises some common words in print
• Recognises many uppercase and lowercase letters
• Recognises some letter sounds
• Describes characters’ actions and feelings in a story
• Relates stories to personal experiences
• Puts events of a story in order
Writing skills
• Tries to write, scribble or draw
• Asks you to write words or notes to others
• Attempts to write own name and recognises own name in print
Mathematics concepts
• Compares the size of groups of objects using language such as “more,” “less” and “same as”
• Arranges objects in size order (big to small, or small to big)
• Uses comparison words, like "bigger," "smaller," "heavier," etc.
• Understands concepts of none, some and all and more than and less than
• Identifies and draws a square, circle and triangle
• Correctly counts four to ten objects
• Knows that the final number counted represents the total number of objects in a set
• Recognises some numbers, 1 – 10
• Can distinguish numbers from letters, and understands that numbers relate to quantity
• Understands the effects of addition and subtraction
Science
• Shows interest and asks questions about objects and events observed in their environment
• Notices common properties and differences among objects and materials
• Knows some facts about common plants and animals, such as what they eat and baby names
•Recognises some objects in the sky such as the sun, moon, clouds and lightning
Creative arts & music
• Recognizes and names basic colours
• Draws recognisable shapes and simple objects
• Tells a story with pictures
• Moves to a beat
• Explores with common musical instruments
• Enjoys improvising or copying musical patterns
Social studies
• Recognizes basic traditions such as birthdays
• Understands that people live in different parts of the worlds and have different customs and traditions
• Explores simple maps and visual representations of neighbourhoods or communities
