If your dc is starting school in September what can they do?

[Whatsdoneisdoneisdone]

My ds is 3.7 and due to start school in September. I am slightly concerned that we are underprepared, and am considering delaying him until Christmas or maybe easter.
What can your preschooler do?

Undress: yes
Dress: no
Use knife and fork: yes
Use scissors: no (only if using two hands)
Hold pencil properly: yes
Play with other children cooperatively: about 50:50

He can count to 20, add and subtract using a number line or objects to 10, read numbers to 100, order numbers to 10, knows 2d shapes and some 3d, knows all letter sounds and most letter names, can read CVC words by saying the letters and blending, can write his name but not neatly and hopeless at drawing. In fact Im not sure he has ever drawn anything recognisable! He rarely draws though, he has no interest at all in it.

Does he sound there or thereabouts? I know they all have strengths / weaknesses and it tends to even out, just concerned that as a younger reception child he isn't going to cope.

He sounds like he's doing really well! Maybe work on getting dressed over the summer (looser and fewer clothes!) as this will help with PE.

Other than that he sounds more than ready :)

I would not worry about the "academic" stuff but focus on the practical eg dressing and undressing (for PE), recognising own name (for labels in things), opening tupperware containers etc for packed lunch if appropriate, going through the whole toilet process including flushing and washing hands without needing any help or reminders. That sort of thing.

He sounds just fine. And 6 months is a long time!

He can recognise his name and is ok using the toilet - just the getting dressed and the drawing! The getting dressed is proving a major stumbling block. Tried making it fun, no luck, tried learning a bit at a time, no luck, tried nagging, no luck, tried sticker chart, no luck.
He just seems to lack the physical dexterity! Plus he is tall and a bit clumsy bless him. His head is quite large too - it's a squeeze to fit through neck holes unless they have buttons. And then he can't do the buttons!

He sounds really ready to me, and will be able to do more that many of the others (incl my dc3 who starts in September too!). Please remember he will mostly be playing and geting used to going to school. Does he go to a nursery at all? I bet if you asked them if he was ready they would reassure you that he is.

But............they do seem too little still don't they?! I'm hoping the same happens with dc3 as my others...in the last few months before school they seemed to suddenly mature and then did seem old enough after all!

Sounds like DS with regard to the dressing. He started reception last September and wasn't great at getting dressed but he could manage although slowly.
If the uniform allows I find leaving the buttons undone on his polo shirt and v neck jumpers are a great help and we bought trousers that just pull up, so no button or zip and that helps.

Ds is 4.7 and will also start school in Sept as one of the oldest.
Undressing, yes. Dressing, yes but v slow with buttons and can't do coat up.
Can't use knife and fork properly,but as a fussy eater he doesn't practise much.
Has used scissors one-handed for the first time today.
Refuses to hold pencil etc in anything other than fist, except rarely uses fingers. He's finally willing to use chalk and paint etc that may make his fingers icky, and may even touch wet things if feeling brave. Draws arches that are rainbows, mostly.
Quite good at playing with other kids until they argue with him. but also likes being alone.

So glad he didn't have to start last Sept when he was still learning to get clothes on at all and couldn't reach his bottom let alone wipe it.

Your ds sounds fine.

Ds2 is just 4 and can:

Dress and undress bottom end but tops confuse him
Use scissors well
Hold pencil well
Recognise most letters and the sounds they make
Count to 10 and recognise numbers into the hundreds by sight
Do some simple addition and subtraction
Glue and paint neatly

He cannot however:
Poo in the toilet
Speak coherently, he's missing most of his consonant sounds
Read, although he's interested so possibly by September
Draw, he just scribbles, we've never had a single recognisable picture, unless a wobbly circle counts?
Play interactively with other children, he'll play alongside or allow them to join in his games but he won't express and interest in joining their game

He has verbal dyspraxia and possibly other SN though and will have resource hours and hopefully an SNA in class.

He's very anxious and clingy and has meltdowns if reprimanded so it's going to be a shock to his system, the infants teacher is good but quite strict

Don't worry too much re the dressing, lots of them will need help, and teacher and TAs will help if necessary. I remeber going into DS's classroom to help after the nativity play in his reception year... 30 children all trying to change out of costumes and into uniforms... total carnage but they all got there in the end. My primary school teacher friend assures me that most of a PE lesson in the first couple of years is taken up with getting changed!

Thank you for the reassurance! Nursery have been very arsey about the fact he can't do the zip on his coat which has made me worry we getting dressed.

Bizarrely ds got up this morning and said 'let's do some drawing.' He then proceeded to draw a pretty good butterfly and a vaguely recognisable cat and fish. He also attempted to write the words above them, getting all of cat and the initial sounds in the other words. I'm not sure if aliens have swapped my ds in the night because he has never attempted to draw anything voluntarily before!

They're all different!
DS1 is 4 at the end of the month
Can dress and undress
Use the loo, wash hands but can't wipe bum
Eats properly
Good speech
Count up to 20
Knows 2d shapes
Ride a bike without stabilisers (crucial for school!)

But
Very reluctant to write/hold a pencil
Can only recognise a few letters
Hates painting and drawing

The more I push the less he does!

Ha ha we have no chance of riding bike without stabilisers for a looonnng time!

My August baby can get dressed but needs help to get the clothes on the right way around. He can get his coat on but can't do the zip up.
His letters, numbers and speech are all fine, but his motor skills are lacking. He can't hold a pencil properly and refuses to even attempt to draw recognisable shapes or write his name.
He can go to the toilet by himself but needs help wiping his bum.

But it's a long time till September!

DD is 3.9.

She can:

• read simple words in a simple story book (but only when she is in the mood, she won't do it if I ask her!)
• knows all her letters and numbers up to hundreds
• doesn't know any arithmetic though
• write her name and simple three letter words - not bad but quite big and some letters more wobbly than others. Holds her pen "properly" but it's a bit wobbly.
• can use scissors and glue etc
• has just started drawing "things" like animals, people, mountains etc that are recognisable
• dress/undress
• go to loo OK - not the greatest wiper but usually manages to get fairly clean
• can pretty much ride her bike (still working on perfecting starting off though)

DS is an August birthday so will start this Sept and can:

Count pretty well up to about 50
Recognise his name and few other letter
Tell you every single engine, truck, crane and bus on Sodor
Pull his pant and trousers up but not put them on initially
He can't (or won't):

draw anything except a scribble, not even the most basic shape
get his own shoes on
get his coat on
we are going to focus on these things before Sept. I am much more concerned about the personal skills than academia. They are still babies, they don't need to read and write yet. Its very hard not be drawn into anxiety competitions but I am assuming the school will tell me soon enough if they have concerns. I am a teacher myself and value academia highly, but I do think we start too early, especially with summer-borns. I think keeping them back though only exacebates the problem.

Yes we are also concentrating on getting dressed more than anything else - when ds will cooperate. He's more interested in learning to read than he is learning to get dressed. I think getting dressed may be more useful to him!

DD is 3.8. She can:

count up to 20 by rote, can count objects up to about 10, can recognise numbers up to 10
recognise her name and a few letters
undress
dress fairly well (can't get her coat on though)
hold a pencil quite well
use scissors one-handed
ride a bike with stabilisers
knows shapes and colours
can go to the toilet by herself and wash hands etc. (but refuses to let me teach her how to wipe after a poo....will need to work on that!)

can not:

read or write any words, letters or numbers.
draw anything recognisable, but loves scribbling and colouring

I know the academic stuff is unimportant at the moment, but I'm slightly surprised by how many of DD's friends seem to be able to read and write simple words. She seems bright enough, so I guess it all comes in time. One of her friends is a 2009 October-born boy who won't be starting school until September 2014 and he is pretty much reading fluently already.

That should have said that she can't write any words, letters or numbers.

All they need to be able to do is:

Feed themselves
Dress and undress
Go to the toilet and wash hands independently
Follow instructions
Sit quietly for short periods