As an outstanding Nursery School & Pre-prep, we support our older children’s transition to primary school in consistent, effective ways. However, there are always things that parents and carers can also do to support this important process.
Here are some tips on how you can your child for the transition to primary school:
- Ask your child what they think about starting school, let them raise any worries or concerns they may have
- Encourage them to ask questions about going to school
- Encourage them to try to do things on their own such as dressing, going to the toilet, washing their hands
- Talk to friends and other families about what school is like
- Attend transition-to-school meetings and activities
- Talk to your child’s early childhood educator about things you can do at home to help your child’s learning and development
- Talk to the school about how you can be engaged in your child’s learning and development at school
- Show your child where the school is and talk about how you will get there
- Arrange play-times with other families whose children will be going to the same school as your child (it helps a lot if your child knows another child at the school)
- Practice the things your child will need to do to get ready for school (e.g. putting things in their bag, remembering to take a hat when it is very sunny)
- Be positive about starting school and enjoy your child’s excitement but also acknowledge their anxieties or worries
- Read books with your child about starting school, such as “I am too absolutely small for school” by Lauren Child and “Starting school” by Allan Ahlberg
