Getting ready for starting school

[AmyB1984]

Is anyone starting to think about getting their child ready when they start school? What do they need to be prepared?

Coat on and off. Ditto shoes and getting changed for pe.

Able to open lunchbox and access their food (yogurt tubes are dreadful for making mess for eg).

Recognising own name written/printed.

That's about it.

Don't forget using the toilet, wiping own bottom and washing hands

To know when they need to go to the toilet and do it independently, including wiping their bottom
To wipe their own nose
To get dressed and undressed including shoes on right feet and buttons and zips
To recognise their own belongings and their own name
To eat with a knfe and fork
To listen to adults ad know not to interrup and shout out
To the understand no and to not cry when told to stop doing things
To follow instructions
To be able to talk to adults and make theid needs known
To be able to share and play in a group

Is a good start

• out of nappies, go to toilet independently incl washing hands
• put coat on the right way round, do it up, and take it off again
• put shoes on the correct feet and do them up (VELCRO)
• listen to instructions and try to follow them
• wait their turn
• play nicely with others
• ask for help from an adult
• concentrate for 10mins
• eat lunch with cutlery
• take school jumper on and off

(- recognise their name when written down)

If your child can do most/all of the above they will be considered a star and the teachers will like you.

Not important compared with the items above

• any phonics or reading or writing
• number recognition

x-post with all the above.

It's all about the pants. I had an academic high flyer and an academically average (on entry to reception, I'm sure things will switch a few times over the years) but the main thing they need to do is be reliable in going to the loo, using it, flushing it, doing up their trousers, and washing their hands. Bonus if they can dry them. Having seen the toilets at the end of the day, this is a tall order for some 4year olds.
I've seen kids come on leaps and bounds in reception, they just need to be comfortable.
I drop my kid to class once a week, the rest of the time it is breakfast club. Im actually amazed how much hands on help staff give them. I was stood directing him to pick up gloves he had dropped, put them in coat pocket and a ta started doing it for him! There was no way I was going to do it for him, just coach him through it.

In case anyone reading this gets really worried, if the majority of the kids can do most of the above, that frees the adults to help the ones who genuinely can't due to motor skills or general immaturity or whatever. The adults would just prefer not to have to help 30 kids into coats before going out to play as by the time the kids are ready it will be time to go in again.

Do most parents get their children prepared for school and feel it's important or leave it to the preschool?

I think that all the things I listed are important both at home and at pre-school. Just don't try to do them all at once. Work towards them gradually.

Education is a partnership between home and school, you both need to do your bit. This holds true at 5 but also at 15.

Some things like lining up are more easily taught at preschool. But most other things can be reinforced and practiced in both settings.

For us with a single child some things are easier at pre-school/nursery like playing nicely, taking turns, talking to adults independently, asking adults for help.

Others are - for me - things I as a parent are responsible for like table manners, clothing issues, food container opening. We obvioulsy also played board games (good for taking turns practice), listening to stories and waiting nicely if mummy/daddy are busy, doing things independent like taking bowl and cup to the sink, tidying toys.

Toilet habits is always a joined effort. Our nursery started the term before the "big kids" go to school with letting them do their business without constant checking and reminding (they send a note before, preparing parents for more knickers needed). I also found that DD would do it a lot more indepent at nursery than at home. Cheeky one.

With 30 idential or nearly identical items like jumper/cardigans, book bags, water bottles, shoes it is vital they can recognise their name. Big colourful sticker are good. We iron in labels at the neck, easier to spot than writing it on the label.

If they have a decent knowledge of numbers, letters, shapes, colours it is a good bonus. I don't mean reading/writing/doing sums but recognising them and maybe counting.

Miaow I agree. If there are reasons why a child can't do stuff independently, then schools should be willing to help and shouldn't judge.
But getting the others to need less help is thus helpful for that child.

On other matters, nametapes or stickers with a picture on them as well as a name can be helpful (especially if there are 5 Olivers or Ivys in the class). Key-rings on school-issue book-bags can also help.

Name recognition is a big one for me as they need to know where their coat peg is, tray, book bag, snack label, when choosing lunch, water bottle, wellies, writing peg etc. Lots of children who started in our class in September who didn't know what their name looked like or knew what it started with so just found any word that started with the same letter.
Being able to do shoes and coats (and mittens and gloves if you send them in with them please attach them to their coat or label them as we have a box of 20 mis matched gloves in our classroom)is a big help but I'm more than happy to show them.
Take jumper off and put back on.
Being able to go to the toilet and wipe properly (the number of parents who have asked me if i can make sure they are wiping properly is silly, I do not have time nor would I be allowed to check every child is wiping their bum to standard). However if it is a known issue then they would be given help when needed.
Be able to use a fork and spoon and preferably a knife too.
Know how to ask an adult for help.
Be willing to have a go. This is a big one i think. If you can encourage them to try and have a go at things then it will be easier for us to show them the rest.
Re: key rings on book bags. Please only let them have one. There are so many kids who have loads and then their book bag won't fit in their tray so gets thrown in the floor.

Children who struggle will be given the appropriate support to enable them to access the same provision as their peers. e.g. with name recognition they will have their picture next to their name or if they struggle with fine motor skills them we will have a small group time to work on that which will then help them to zip up their coat or put their gloves on.

I don't think there's really anything you need to prepare them for. They do need to be able to manage their own personal care (toilet trained, able to use the toilet independently, wash hands, feed themselves) and they need to have social skills (so have spent time around other children, sharing, turn taking, sharing meals, etc. regularly). But that's about it. If they're already in some sort of communal setting like preschool, they'll be doing these things anyway, but definitely be consistent at home too. Your school should offer a number of settling in sessions before school starts. For us, these were in the summer term, about one a week for 6 weeks. I think going to these is really important. That's really it. Keep in mind though that there's still a long time before September, so I really wouldn't be worrying about it now.

If you have specific worry about your child, worth having a meeting before school breaks up in the summer.
My ds had lots of issues, requested a meeting with teacher/HT/home-school link.
It made me feel very reassured that the school is aware of my ds's problems before starting.

YEs to all the above. Also, label everything with their name. I use the Cash’s sew in name tapes and Stikins name labels.

Leaving you without crying. Enthusiasm for learning plus most of the other posts!