How can I prepare my ds for school?

[mum2oliver]

Im not the type of parent who will put pressure on my ds to achieve.I dont push him or force him to do to take part in things etc..
I would like to try and encorouge him to be as ready as he can be for big school.Wht sort of things can I make him aware of?

Teach him to recognise his own name.
How to use the toilet by himself, feed himself, dress himself.
How to ask adults for help, how to take turns, sit quietly and listen.
How to open everything that goes into his lunchbox (although dinner ladies don't usually mind peeling bananas and opening crisps).
How to share.
The teachers are there to teach him the academics, that's their job. But they don't want to faff with the personal hygiene and basic social skills. That's what parents are for.
Although some children start school weak if not completely incapable on some of the list I made above, but those are the things I know to work on above all else. I did manage to persuade one of my children to look at flash cards before school started, but others weren't up for it.

excellent advice from lijkk! Agree totally.

Agree with lljkk. Given you may be dealing with a 15 children to one adult situation, then if he can get his own coat on and off, change to PE by himself, open and eat his lunch and toilet himself then that is a big help. The only "academic" thing that I think is helpful is being able to recognise his name (even then pegs will often have a pictoral clue as well). I also think that spending some time at preschool or playgroup without you is helpful, as most other chidren will have had some experience of preschool/nursery etc, and this helps with the idea of sitting down quietly for carpet time etc.

Agree with lljkk practical things like changing clothes, asking for toilet, waiting turns, speaking up, using knife and fork which will help his self confidence and make you popular with the teacher.

Thanks, schneebly .

The thing is, you can work on stuff like pencil grip at home before they start school. I know that our school talks about "crabby fingers" for holding a pencil, for instance, so I taught that to my youngest when he was 3 -- and he picked it up easily (to my sheer amazement). But I knew that was consistent with what he'd do later in reception, or I wouldn't have said anything about his fist-hold of pens.

And it never hurts to give them opportunities to develop fine motor skills, counting things or pointing out that letters make sounds (especially the letters that start their own name). But if you teach them to do anything one way and then school uses different phrasing or has a different approach, it might be wasted effort or result in child feeling frustrated that they have to unlearn something and learn a new way.

This is leaving aside all the threads you see on MN about children who can read before starting school, but I don't think there are many LOs able or willing....

oh thats just the advice I need.He goes to preschool 5mornings a week.He does all the above so im now pleased about that.Although he will def get told off for not listening properly and maybe not sitting still.
He takes absolutely gaes to go for a poo!! He cant sit on the loo for 10 mins can he!!

I have a copy of the book Prepare your child for school and I found it really useful last year before DD started school in September.

You will be amazed as to how quickly his teacher and classmates will get used to his toileting needs/habits. I really do not envy infant school teachers, and I'm fairly sure that they are not paid anywhere close to their true value.