SCHOOL READINESS: SETTING UP FOR SCHOOL SUCCESS!
As the 2024 school year marches on, a cohort of kindergarten students (and parents) await the first day of ‘big school’ in 2025. There are dozens of skills that will help support your child through this exciting transition and set them up for school success. Here are some of the most important school readiness skills that your child will need to thrive; and some ways to practice at home!
SELF CARE
Self-care skills are essential for kindergarten, the more your child can do for themselves, the more confidence they will have to approach their day!
OPENING LUNCH BOXES, CONTAINERS, AND DRINK BOTTLES
You can practice this by heading out for family picnics, or engaging with pretend tea parties, while using the same containers that your child will have at school. Additionally, if your child is having difficulty – consider easier options, such as Velcro instead of clips, or Ziplock bags instead of opening packets!
WASHING HANDS PROPERLY
You can ensure your child’s hand hygiene by teaching them a silly song to go along with the routine, or if in doubt, Happy Birthday and the Alphabet both make great length for handwashing.
MANAGING PERSONAL BELONGINGS
Having your child help pick out their belongings can be a great way to promote ownership and understanding of their personal items. Additionally, some children may benefit from a visual checklist of items that need to go in their school bag.
MANAGING SHOES, SOCKS, AND JUMPERS
Tying shoelaces is a complex skill, and one your child may not be ready for before kindergarten (that’s okay!). You can try alternative options such as Velcro to give confidence and mastery while your child continues to practice this at home.
CLASSROOM SKILLS
The classroom environment may be totally different to any preschool environment your child has experienced before. When our fine motor skills are delayed, children may have to expel a lot more mental effort to some learning tasks, and this can result in frustration! The following skills will help your child take classroom challenges head on:
HOLDING A PENCIL WITH A DYNAMIC, TRIPOD GRASP
Everyone holds their pencil a little different, right? This is true, however ensuring your child is using a tripod grasp will promote the most efficient writing possible in the long term – helping your child develop endurance with drawing and writing tasks.
USING SCISSORS ACCURATELY
The best tip here, is practice, practice, practice. Arts and craft are a great way to keep scissor practice fun, and you can focus on your child’s interest areas for best engagement. If your child is having difficulty with strength required for this task, chat to your OT about adaptive scissor options!
WRITING NAME & DRAWING SHAPES
Again the biggest tip, practice makes perfect! Starting by tracing first and then building up to independent attempts will provide confidence in this task. Additionally, if your child is having difficulty with forming a letter correctly, try making up a little rhyme or tune to help them remember.
Extra Tip – remember this skill may develop at different rates for everyone! It’s typically easier for Bo to learn to write his name than it is for Nathaniel!
COLOURING WITHIN THE LINES
Colouring within the lines shows pencil control, which is also important for names and shapes! Encourage smaller movements using the wrist and fingers by setting a challenge to hold something under your child’s armpit while they colour in.
SITTING UPRIGHT IN A CHAIR
Some children may have difficulty due to muscular strength, whilst some may be moving about because their brains are looking for extra sensory stimulation. Practice strengthening postural muscles through gross motor games or activities like walking around the house as different animals.
PLAYGROUND SKILLS
The playground can be an equally fun-filled and daunting place, encapsulating gross motor fun, as well as social-emotional skills. The following are skills your child will need to prosper in the playground.
JUMP & RUN, CATCH & THROW
You can encourage development of age-appropriate gross motor skills through games like ‘Simon Says’, setting up obstacle courses, or heading down to your local park.
FOLLOW MULTI-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
You can practice this at home by involving your child in cooking and practice following a recipe together or incorporating games and challenges into everyday activities like cleaning up toys. Some children may benefit from chunking information into smaller components or using visual aids to remember.
TAKING TURNS & SHARING
You can practice this through pretend play of your child’s choice, such as swapping roles at the pretend shops. A visual timer may be helpful in indicating when it’s time to swap! Additionally, simple card games such as memory, or snap, are a great way to practice in a controlled environment, and model how to share yourself!
HAVING EMOTIONAL AWARENESS
No child can regulate their emotions appropriately all the time, in fact, most of us adults can’t do it by ourselves! However, you can support your child to build their understanding by labelling your own emotions, talking openly about all feelings, and practicing calming activities or strategies together.
REMEMBER:
Child development is a complex journey, and every child’s experience will be different!
If you’re wanting to know more about your child’s development, or readiness for school, contact us today to book an assessment with our Occupational Therapy team today!
School Readiness: Setting Up for School Success!