Preparing for Pre-School
The best way to prepare your child for pre-school is to talk positively about the experience without making it a big deal as this can overwhelm small children. Pre-school is the start of an amazing journey, one of endless growth and development for them. If you are positive they are more likely to be happy about the experience, particularly early on.
You can help prepare your child/ren for pre-school. Below is a list of things that you might like to practice at home which may be useful for your child/ren starting pre-school. Please note: there is no expectation that your child/ren have to have mastered any of these, so please don’t stress!
As children begin pre-school, they are usually beginning to:
- Talk to other people about familiar objects and events
- Answer and ask simple questions
- Make needs known
- Follow simple instructions
- Use books for enjoyment or for looking at pictures
- Use the toilet independently
- Say their own name
- Adapt to unfamiliar settings and new experiences
- Play co-operatively with other children (sharing and taking turns)
- Put on and taking off jumpers, shoes, socks independently.
Some of the things that you can do to encourage confidence include:
- Providing play dates with other children
- Talking to your child about what to expect
- Coming up with a goodbye ritual – practise this before your child starts
- Reading to your child every day
- Encouraging your child to be independent by giving them time by themselves; feeding themselves; and practice dressing and undressing.