How To Prepare Children For School
Here are the answers that should help shore up your concerns and make the transition from home to school easier.
What should I do first?
Fill in the forms. In addition, also take your child for allergy testing and a medical exam. Include this information. Even if it seems like too much, it probably isn’t. Remember that schools have heard it all and seen it all.
How do I get my child interested in going to school?
In the year before going to school, pick two times a week to show him or her how to do basic children’s educational workbooks. Teach your child all of the letters, all of the numbers up to ten and show him or her how to do worksheets such as matching same and different. These two times a week should be without interruptions from other children but as we know it can be difficult, give the other child something to do in another area. These two times a week should be at least forty-five minutes long which is the duration of fairly long primary subjects at times.
Teach your child to write all the letters and show your child easy words like on and off.
Then of course, put in a few good words about school every time your child does school work. “You’ll get lots more worksheets at school!”
What does my child need to know in terms of safety?
You need to stress to them that if they get locked out at the end of recess or somehow misplaced onto the outside of the building, they are supposed to go around to the front door. Before school starts, go to the school grounds and do at least nine sessions where your child goes around to the front door.
Four and five year olds do not know where this door is usually and every year, there are children that do walk home because a supply teacher or even a regular teacher didn’t do a head count. As frightening as this is, simply look at this as a practice drill. By physically doing it, you shouldn’t have any concerns.
You also need to let your child know that while he or she is at school other adults will be the boss. Explain that they must listen and use their best manners. Some children already pros at playing parents against one another will start to do the same between teachers and home. So put your foot down right away and let your child know that when you’re not around, the teacher is the boss. This is a safety feature because children who float authority may not do what they are told in a drill situation.
At most schools, there are now code reds where a school practices what to do if a stranger is on the property. These code reds can be exhilarating for the children and they may talk out in excitement. Explain code reds and fire drills. Code reds mean the door is shut and everybody goes to sit and be quiet on the farthest wall from the door.
What do I do on the first day of school?
Take pictures the whole time. Praise your child. Expect them to get ready themselves and show them that you are proud of them. By making this day like the olympics warm-up, your child doesn’t have any other choice but to be excited too! Fill them up with that first time warmth.
With these tips, your child should be well on their way to getting ready for school.
Robyn Whyte is the author of Star Gazer’s Guided Reading Kit. Check out http://www.stargazerpress.com for more information on this affordable guided reading kit.