7 Ways To Prepare Your Preschooler For Primary School

Starting primary school is a big milestone for parents and young children alike. Many parents worry that their children won’t cope and that their child may not be well prepared for primary school.

Ways To Prepare Your Preschooler For Primary School

Chat To Your Child’s Preschool Teacher

If you have any concerns about your child not being ready to start primary school make sure to contact your child’s preschool teacher to discuss it with her.

Your child’s preschool teacher will be monitoring your child for school readiness and will have a very good idea of how prepared your child is. She should also be able to identify anything that your child should be focusing on and what your child’s strong points are.

Talk To Your Child About Starting Primary School

Make sure to always talk about starting primary school in a positive way so that your child is more likely to also a positive attitude towards starting school. Make sure to monitor your child’s reaction towards school.

If your child appears anxious, confused or worried ask your child if he has any questions that you can answer.

Explain to your child how school works and what will be expected of him, such as looking after his own things, homework and sitting quietly during class.

Play Learning Games With Your Child

Kids love playing games, so use this as a fantastic opportunity to teach your child about school and to teach your child some of the skills he will need to acquire for school.

A favourite kids game is playing School School – let your child take the lead and choose who will be the teacher and who will be the student.

Kids also love playing on the tablet and the phone. While screen time should always be in moderation this is a great way to get your child to learn lots of amazing things and have fun at the same time.

Try this fantastic app that offers Pre-k Preschool Games for Kids that will teach your child the following skills:

• Visual Perception
• Motor Skill Development
• Logical Thinking
• Improve Attention
• Memory Development
• Vocabulary Skill
• Cognitive Skills Development

Go To The School Orientation Day

Your child’s school will have an orientation day that you and your child don’t want to miss. It is a wonderful way for your child to have a look at the school, see his classroom and meet his teacher ahead of his first day. He will get to meet some of his new class mates and view important things like the playground and tuck shop – which are very important features for children.

Your child will also be introduced to the school routine, the rules and what the teachers expect of him.

It is also a chance for parents to get better acquainted with the school and to ask any questions so that you are well prepared for your child’s first day.

Arrange Play Dates With Your Child’s Soon To Be Class Mates

Having a familiar face on the first day of school will help your child to be relaxed and settle in well. Try to set up some play dates with your child’s soon to be class mates in the holidays before school starts.

This will make adjusting to his new environment so much easier.

Prepare Your Child For Using The Toilet

Your child is probably well acquainted with using the toilet but toilet time works very differently in primary school. For example your child’s preschool class may have it’s own bathroom and the teacher may even assist children with going to the toilet and with good toilet hygiene such as washing your child’s hands.

Explain to your child how the toilets work in the primary school and how it is different from the preschool so that your child knows what to expect. He must learn to be independent when going to the bathroom.

Start A Good Routine Ahead Of Time

Your child may be in a good routine for preschool but there is a holiday before starting Grade 1 and your routine will probably have gone out the window.

Make sure to get your child into a good sleeping and waking routine at least a week before school starts so that things go smoothly when he starts school. Prepare for a very tired child at the end of the day as starting primary school can be exhausting for little people.