Trying to prepare my child for primary school

[Justmuddlingalong101]

Hey! My child is about to turn 5 and going to be heading to Primary School soon! I'm really worried that he's not going to be prepared enough to learn properly.

He's practically obsessed with his tablet (well, it's not just his). Just wondering if there are any learning-based apps that would help him. Thanks so much!

Prepared in what way? Academically? Socially? Practically?
DD1 starts in September and from what I’ve heard/read the main things are that they can:

Take turns and share.
Self toilet (including wiping effectively and washing hands).
Dress themselves, including shoes/socks/buttons etc.
Follow 2-3 step instructions such as ‘put your books away then come and sit on the carpet quietly’

DD is one of the older ones (she’ll be 5 in November) and has been reading/writing for a while but I think that’s less important than than the practical/social skills mentioned above.

Get a copy of the book Starting School by Janet and Allan Alhberg. Best book ever. It's originally from the 80s but Primary School life is pretty similar - book corner, dressing up corner, mat to sit on etc - but there are no gadgets in the pictures (because they didn't exist). When he starts point out the things that are the same "oh look a climbing frame like in your book" and be a bit ott about other stuff - "you have a sand tray HOW FANTASTIC" and hopefully he won't even miss his tablet.

Hi, are you in England?

The most important thing in preparation for school is to practise changing from uniform into PE kit and vice versa - I don't think you'll find an app for that one ;)

You do not need to give him a head start in any learning areas. If he can listen and follow instructions, and ask for help when he needs something, he will be at an advantage over those that can't. If he can't do those things, then any amount of phonics or number work you do beforehand won't really help!

All that said, here are some apps:
Numeracy and number:
Dragonbox Numbers
Mathseeds (you buy a subscription, the app itself is free; you can get free trials)
Numberblocks (on CBeeBies - don't know if it is an app as well, but the TV show is excellent IMO)

Phonics:
Alphablocks (app and TV show)
Teach your Monster to Read
Oxford Owl for free decodable e-books

SoyDora I think mainly academically! Thanks so much for the advice!

If the tablet is bothering you start cutting down on the usage.

I would take the tablet away -:)

I would concentrate on taking turns and sharing, board games are great.
Simple concentration tasks like colouring in, jigsaws, dot-to-dot sheets
Self-dressing/toilet and putting clothes away as neatly as possible
If you think about packed lunch make sure he can open packets/pots/bottles.
Recogsnizing his name in a pile of 30 identical jumpers/book bags

If he likes, do letters, numbers, shapes but keep it fun. We often did it while waiting somewhere and "reading" signs or number plates, bus signs.

I wouldn't suggest doing anything academically.

Most important is toileting, changing in and out of uniform, manners and social/listening skills.

Also, I wouldn't take the tablet away - we use tablets from Reception. As long as it is balanced with other activities, they're fantastic learning tools.

As for apps, there are so many out there. The junior coding apps are good, letter recognition apps, simple number app, storybook apps. I wouldn't bother with phonics unless you know what the school will use.

bookmum08 I'll defo grab a copy! Only £3.50 on Amazon too, what a bargain!

we love this site www.busythings.co.uk/

The best preparation for school is play which develops their gross and fine motor skills. Construction toys/small world play help build imagination and concentration as well as exercising fingers (crucial for developing pencil skills). Reading books together, to develop left to right tracking skills as well as language. Ditch the iPad apart from as a short treat. It does young children no favours developmentally. I've had pupils arrive at school unable to hold a book or track properly, with really poor motor skills. All loved their iPad. It gives them instant rewards for little effort.

It does young children no favours developmentally

Eh? My research has shown quite the opposite!

Could I read yours, please?

beading for fine motor too and playdoh

Of course thinks like tablets have their place, as one of a variety of learning tools. No need to ditch it, just use it alongside other things.

brilliotic We're in England! Thanks so much for the advice and the useful app suggestions. Obviously, want him to learn but not sure he will if he's not having fun with it! Do you think that's important?

Definitely. Learning through play is the most successful way of learning at this age and if a child is having fun, there's masses of evidence to suggest that retention is greater.

My kid starts school this September too but he'll be 6 and a half because they start a bit later here.

Most of them have been in nursery school 5 days a week since they were 1 or 2 though, so they're already socialised/self-dressing/independantly toileting/used to following classroom instructions and have been for a long time. I expect some can read and write already. Mine can't, although he can recognise individual letters and numbers, add and subtract, recognise his own name written down.

I don't intend to try to prepare him academically as I don't want to confuse him by explaining something one way if it turns out his teacher teaches it differently. Plus, I've heard stories of kids who spent 1st grade very bored because it was all things they already knew how to do (telling the time, basic addition, basic letter learning).

None of the kids his age here really have tablets/mobile phones yet.. I think they're mostly teenagers before they start to get that stuff as most people don't have that much disposable income (and I think technology is still proportionately more expensive here than in the UK so it's not really seen as something for small children... yet... but I expect that will change soon.)

ProfessorMoody What would you say are the things to look for in learning/entertainment app? Like you say, there's just so so so many!

pellybay Good point about teachers teaching them a different way to how they might be learning it before. If you don't mind me asking, where do you live?

We live in Slovenia. That point bothers me especially because I grew up in Scotland, a long time ago, so my experience of school - the system and methods of teaching are probably different from what they do here.

Also, he will start 'learning' English as a 2nd language (obviously nursery school is entirely in Slovene as it's most people's 1st language here) and although my kid is in the position of already being fluent in 2 languages, there isn't really an option for him to miss English classes or take a different language (until he's a bit older) so since he's already likely to be at an advantage with that I think it's better for him not to be 'ahead' in anything else in case he gets a bit complacent/thinks he's smarter than everyone else.

DD1 basically taught herself to read (I couldn’t really have stopped her bar refusing to answer her questions about it all!) so I am a bit concerned that she’ll struggle as she’ll obviously have learned in a different way to how they teach it in school... could that be a big issue ProfessorMoody? Sorry for the hijack OP!

The apps my class use the most are Hopscotch, Scratch Junior, Dragon spelling, RM Easimaths, Book Creator and PuppetPals.

@SoyDora There are always some children that come to school reading or close to reading It won't be a problem, she'll be assessed and will still probably need to do some phonics, but might be in a higher group than those who can't read at all.

SoyDora Hijack away! Just interested, did your DD1 use any apps, e-books or anything else to help her? Thanks!

She likes the ‘teach my monster to read’ app but mainly she just learned through asking loads of questions... she’s always been interested in letters/words etc. I read a lot so I think it stemmed from that. She’s now trying to master reading in her head ‘because that’s how grown ups do it’! DD2 (3) on the other hand couldn’t care less .
Thank you ProfessorMoody.

ProfessorMoody Are you a primary school teacher? And Thanks So Much! Weird question but do you feel like the use of rhythm/music would be beneficial to learning? I've read some stuff to say that it helps with memory!

Yes I am

Definitely!! Music and rhythm is fabulous, not just for little ones, but older children too. We have times table songs, spelling songs and raps and they're fantastic for memory.

I also found when I did a topic about the sea, and we did Sea Shanties, that they're brilliant for what they were designed for - getting children into a physical rhythm too.