So what do I need to ensure dd can do before starting school?

[OhNoMyFoot]

Going to introduce the knife to meal times, but what else do I need to work in the next few weeks?

My DD also starts school in September. From the info we had from the school, getting changed for sports and going to the toilet are the other 2 essential skills.

For getting dressed, I am trying to get DD to sort out her t-shirt when it is inside out, do up buttons on her cardigan and the zip on her coat. As for the toilet, DD is fine with most of it but is usually in too much of a rush to get back to playing so she forgets to wipe properly.

Remember to go to the loo before it's desperate. Wipe own bottom (to a standard that you can live with, not necessarily perfect!!!)

Change from school uniform to PE kit and back with minimum help.

Wipe own nose.

And ideally: Listen to instructions and ask for help when confused.

Get dressed/undressed herself.Try to increase speed. Being able to recognise and write her name would be desirable,hold a book the correct way(you'd be surprised).Turn taking is good(maybe do some board games).Oh and being able to wipe her bottom after a poo would be good,I've had some who couldn't. Being able to take the lid off her lunchbox herself also good.

Lunch times are often the biggest stressor. If she has a lunch box, make sure that she can recognise it and open anything in it. There are lunch time assistants, but children can be shy about asking for help.

If school lunch, practise carrying a small tray. Some schools have those prison type trays which are easier (but ghastly in my opinion) but some will still use plates and bowls.

Recognise own name is good - especially if you have labelled everything!!!

Wiping own bottom would be good. However, my soon to be Y5 has just told me that he has never had a poo at school. I think the general state of primary loos means he has no desire to hang around!

Hope your DD has lots of fun.

DD is going into Yr1 in September. When we got her school welcome pack, last year, it included a list of what they would ideally like children to be able to do upon starting reception.

Before your child starts school please ensure that they are independently capable of the following:

1. Dress and undress themselves.
2. Do up buttons and zips.
3. Put on shoes (no laces please).
4. Use a knife and fork.
5. Use the toilet independently and clean themselves using toilet paper.
6. Wash and dry hands by themselves.
7. Blow nose and use a handkerchief.
8. Hang up coats/clothes

It would be helpful if your child could also:

1. Sit still and listen for 5-10 minutes.
2. Line up sensibly.
3. Follow instructions.
4. Take turns and share.
5. Recognise own name.
6. Count to 10.

Hope the above helps.

Whoops! DS1 - going into Y5, can do 5 from the first list and 5 and 6 from the second list. Do you think I should send him back to Y1?

Wipe their own bottom.

Understand that they need to share - things and the teacher's time.

Sorry to be dense but is this for 4yo's? My DS is starting pre-school and will only just have turned 3. The letter we got says he should be able to go to the loo and wipe his bum on his own.
I think this may be a bit beyond him & things will get very messy!

Yep, this is for YrR starters.

I was going to say getting changed, own shoes coats etc. and wiping bum.

shoes, coat, wash hands, open and close lunchbox

All of the above plus if they are having packed lunches make sure anything you put in is easy to open as lunch time supervisors have lots of children to help.Peel/cut up fruit. Frube type yoghurts are a real pest as young children cannot open them or the plastic tear off bit comes off and the tube is still sealed. Easy open pots and drinks containers that are easy to manage.

Thanks everyone, especially bunny for digging the list out . Happy to say lots ticked off but still enough to keep the focus and interest in what's coming up very quickly

Don't do what I did which is buy new shoes, new bag and new coat and forget to show DC so when it came to finding his coat at the end of the first day, there were tears as he could not remember what it looked like!!!

He could not read his own name on his peg when he started in reception.

Hehe, no probs OP. Had to dig out her school welcome pack, as she needs to show her bus pass (she's on dedicated school transport, we live rurally) at the start of each school year and I keep it in there. I actually had the foresight to be organised last year otherwise, I'd be paying £5 for a replacement bus pass

Probably, Euphemia! I think as a parent though, you will be aware if your child has the ability to line up sensibly, or not more often 'not' at 3 and 4. They probably place greater emphasis on this than some other schools, as there is two separate lines at school for the end of the day - the school bus line and the 'mummy line', and the teachers/TA's are usually entangled in a merry dance to get children in the correct lines during the first few weeks!

Either way, I found the list helpful and was happy it listed things like this, rather than the academic stuff which most parents tend to get wound up about.

Euphemia strange as it may seem most children can do most of those things in reception (taking turns is a difficult one) so some considerable regression appears to take place ... they usually learn to line up in nursery or preschool to be fair.

As a reception teacher I was always overjoyed if they could wipe their own nose and bum and recognise the coat they wore to school ... I'm easily pleased

Wipe her bum, dress herself including shoes and coat, and recognise her name so she can find her belongings

Single file is so much easier

They have single file at DD's school, but the problem is half of the school bus line want to be in the mummy line and half the mummy line want to be in the school bus line - the other 50%? Well, they haven't a clue where they should be (or want the toilet)!

We just have a single single line saves all confusion