7 years ago

Does Your Child Possess These 6 Skills For Starting 'Big' School?

If you have a child starting ‘big school’, these skills might help them to take this exciting and challenging time in their stride.

Dr Mary O’Kane is a Consultant in Early Years Education and, after speaking with 500 preschool and primary teachers in Ireland, she has compiled a list of six skills a child needs for starting school and some top tips for parents.

1. Independence Skills:

Talk about school, read them books about children starting school.
Speak positively about school at all times, if you are nervous about them starting school, don’t show it!
Teach your child to put on and take off their coat themselves. (Ensure they recognise it!)
Are they confident in using the bathroom? (Make sure that your child is wearing clothes that they can easily manage when using the bathroom).
Ensure they can open and close their schoolbag and lunchbox. Let them practice this.
Can they easily handle their lunch?
Role play a ‘pretend school lunchtime’ with your child at home.
Familiarise your child with the school, classroom and teacher before the big day.
Make sure children are familiar with where the toilets are, the playground is, etc.
On the first morning at school, do not linger too long in the classroom! Be positive with your child.
If your child is anxious, try to engage them in an activity, or with a child that they know.

2. Social Skills

Encourage your child to mix with children outside of their own family.
Introduce your child to any children living nearby who are starting in the same class.
Teach your child tidiness and encourage them to tidy up after playing with their toys.
Encourage them to say please and thank you and to apologise when needed.
Help your child with turn taking. Board games can be very useful in this regard.

3. Self Esteem

Give your child chores to do around the house.
Praise their good work and praise the effort they put in to a task rather than the outcome.
Show an active interest in their activities but let them work at their own pace.
Don’t criticise your child’s efforts.
Allow them opportunities to explore and make mistakes.
Spend quality time with your child; find activities that you enjoy to do together.

4. Language and Communication Skills

Try to make time for daily reading sessions with your child - encourage them to take part in the process by turning pages for you.
Talk to your child about their daily activities. Encourage them to talk about themselves/their experiences.
Give them time to discuss their world with you, and show them you value their opinions by listening to them.
Discourage baby-talk – ‘she is a big girl now’!

5. Concentration and Listening Skills

Reading sessions, as noted above.
Board games or card games help concentration.
Encourage your child to finish jigsaws.
Stick to activities they enjoy, don’t try to force activities.
Keep in mind that sometimes diet can be linked to concentration difficulties.

6. Academic Skills

There really is no need to teach your child to read or write before they enter school.
Help develop their fine motor skills, with lots of colouring, using scissors, Lego games, threading beads, etc.
Help them to recognise size, shape and colour.
Develop their vocabulary by asking them questions and talking to them about what you are doing.
Use words that they will be using in school (e.g. more/less; higher/lower; bigger/smaller; over/under) does your child understand these concepts?
Help your child to develop a love of learning, this will stand to your child much more than trying to develop formal reading and writing skills at a very young age.
Remember once the child has developed the skill sets described above the academics will come more easily!

Dr Mary O’Kane BSc, MPhil, PhD, is a Consultant in Early Years Education and an Associate Lecturer in Psychology.