Starting School

[JustLaura]

Hi

Can anyone give me any 'heads up' on what will help my child before they start school?

The school office have said no need to do anything other than get uniform but we want to be prepared.

What books do they start reading?
What would a 'typical' day be like?
What types of things should they practice?

Thanks

Going to the toilet independently
Dressing and undressing and putting coat on
Using a knife and fork, if having school lunch
Recognising and writing their name
Counting to 10 or 20
Following instructions
Sharing
Turn taking……….

Don’t worry about the reading/writing bit, that’s what school is for and staff can give you guidance on supporting this at home once school has started and your child has settled. Instead teach them:

How to get dressed and undressed by themselves (for PE lessons)
To take shoes off and put on independently (Please don’t send them in with lace up shoes until they can actually lace them up themselves!)
To take their coat off and put it on independently…. buttons are an added bonus but can take more time to master!
Go to the toilet independently.
Identify their own name (helpful when there’s 30 snack pots and 30 water bottles to choose from!)

Identify their own name
Make sure that they know their surname too

It will depend what phonics scheme they use but my son started with a book being send home the second day which was just pictures and he has to tell the story. We had 3 of those then started with words.

The 'typical' day will also look different school to school but there is a lot of play based learning in reception x

Recognising their name.
Putting their belongings in the correct place
Knowing how to ask for help
Learning to say "stop it. I don't like that" or similar to their peers so that they can self advocate in a dispute
Knowing how to dress and undress including shoes and coats
Being able to toilet independently
Anything academic is a bonus. But the social preparation ensures they are ready to learn.

Thanks @MumOfStarWars this is exactly what I needed to know!

All of the above and also writing their own name if you want to practice writing (but certainly not essential).
Washing hands effectively and independently
If having packed lunch make sure they can open any containers/packets.
Being able to open own water bottle

The first couple of weeks they will just focus on settling in with lots of play based learning.

Mine were both very tired the first month even though they had been doing full days in childcare previously- just a lot of mental energy used I think. Also had a bit of behaviour regression at home just because of having to behave very well in school all day and also being tired and cranky!

I'm glad others have said it, but a decade of working in a school and so many children don't know their own name, especially their surname. Even better if they can spot it written down.

Then coats off and on and being able to get changed

Then being able to operate their lunch - peel satsumas, open yoghurt etc.

Thanks everyone.

Any suggestions on first reading books to buy?

I read on a different thread that someone was considering buying Ladybird First Readers ( me too!) but others commented that their schools use Biff, Chip and Kipper (I'd never heard of them). Also seen an Usborne set.

Any suggestions on what to start with?

Any suggestions on first reading books to buy?

I wouldn't buy any.

Let the school send home reading scheme books when he's ready, and in the meantime just continue to read everything and anything together at home.

Practice with them asking to go to the toilet.

What do you say when you need to go?

Errmmm Please Mr/Mrs, may I go to the toilet?

well done DS/DD that’s right

especially if you have a shy child.

Thanks @HerewegoagainSS I hadn't thought about that!

This may be a daft question, do children still raise their arm to signal they want to speak/ask a question?

This is all new to me so anything basic I do need to know.

Thanks

Depends what they are doing.

All sitting on the carpet, teacher talking. Yea, hand up.

All doing activities, lots of noise and bustle, can probably go and ask teacher/TA if you need something and get their attention politely with their name.

When it comes to asking to go to the toilet, any teaching professional would prefer “I need a wee” blurted out followed by a quick exit to a puddle and a wet child. However, ideally they would put their hand up,

Don’t buy particular books: only ones your child will enjoy reading with you. Reading together is the thing which makes the most difference to academic progress. Probably the school will use some Biff and Chip, therefore what you read at home first need to.

Can they feed themselves? Can they get their coat on? Can they identify their own name and do up shoes? Can they go to the toilet or tell someone if they need changing? Those are the things I’d say are important,

Recognising their belongings is a good one and making sure everything is labelled. I used rainbow woven labels and they were easy to see and easy to pair up with the child (got thanked by the TA who was a little fed up of unlabelled items). Not reading/writing but still very important!

i wouldn’t worry about books yet but some phonics flashcards might be helpful to have at home. My daughter has just finished reception and the first term felt quite slow with books (especially compared to her older sister who has been on a different scheme).I don’t think she had any with words until October half term. She then really flew and made very rapid progress in the spring.

i did supplement school books with home reading with both of mine though. I really like songbirds but I think they have to have at least a term of getting to grips with sounds before doing too much more at home.