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Preparing Your Child for Primary School – The Next Big Step
February 16, 2022
4 min
Education
Positive Parenting
Transitioning to primary school is not an easy task – your child faces a new environment, new teachers, new classmates. Being primary school ready is not just about academics (being able to count, knowing colours, writing a sentence). It encompasses a wide range of skills which includes self-care, emotion regulation, social skills, etc.
My First Skool’s Skool-Ready© curriculum provides a holistic learning experience which adopts an inquiry-based learning approach, encouraging children to be confident in asking questions and investigating to find out the answers. This helps children develop self confidence and a “I Can Do It!” mindset which prepares them well for primary school.
Below are some tips on how you can help strengthen your child’s primary school readiness.
1. Start Early
As soon as your child reaches 4 years old, you can start preparing your child for primary school by talking about behavioural and school expectations. From Nursery onwards, lessons/activities are planned to develop your child in the six learning domains (Aesthetics and Creative Expression, Discovery of the World, Language and Literacy, Motor Skills Development, Numeracy, Social Emotional Development). This provides children with a well-rounded and strong foundation in different subjects, helping children to tackle new concepts with ease in primary school.
Do initiate daily conversations with your child and ask them to share what they have learnt in school. You can also encourage your child to be more independent with self-care tasks (e.g. dressing, eating, brushing teeth) and give your child opportunities to take the lead at home (e.g. simple household chores, packing school his/her own school bag).
2. Talk About Feelings
At My First Skool, the Skool-Ready© curriculum prepares children to be resilient and emotionally secure. Using feelings charts and emotion wheels, our teachers would check-in with the children to acknowledge the children’s feelings and guide them when they need help regulating their emotions.
Your child may experience mixed feelings or develop anxiety about transitioning to primary school. Give your child plenty of support and affirmation that starting primary school is fun and exciting. You may also read them children’s books about starting school to help them open up and share their feelings with you.
3. Build Social Skills
Our teachers would always encourage children to work and play harmoniously with different classmates in school so that the children get the opportunity to interact with children from various backgrounds. Encourage your child to socialise with children of similar age in the neighbourhood who may be going to the same primary school. A familiar face in school may help them feel more reassured when they are settling down in a new environment.
4. Develop a Routine and Timetable
At My First Skool, children follow a daily schedule that is specific to their class and is consistent throughout the whole week. With routines in place, children are more independent as they are mentally prepared for the next activity and they know what is expected of them.
Before transitioning to primary school, it would be helpful to start a new routine with your child such as adjusting their sleep schedule weeks before school starts. Do engage in conversations with your child about what would happen every day (e.g. getting ready for school, having lessons, taking the school bus). You can also explain to your child about the new subjects and what to pack in their school bag. Being familiar with a routine and time table would allow them to adapt better to the changes and reduce anxiety.
5. Visit or Take a Virtual Tour of a Primary School
Bring your child on an excursion to his/her new primary school and take a school tour. Explore the surrounding environment and guide your child on identifying landmarks near the primary school (e.g. bus stop, petrol station). To make it a fun and memorable experience, you may ask your child to draw out a map of their route to school when you are back home.
You can easily assess primary school virtual tours online and watch them with your child to familiarise them with the school setting.
As part of My First Skool’s Kindergarten 2 curriculum in Term 4, children would be able to name and identify the facilities in a primary school. During the virtual tour, you may engage in conversations with your child to find out what they are looking forward to or which are their favourite school facilities. This will help them to adapt better to the new environment and settle into primary school.
Why Choose NTUC First Campus’ My First Skool?
Preparing your child for primary school may seem like a daunting task, but My First Skool’s unique and high quality curriculum will ensure that your child develops into a confident individual, with a positive “I Can Do It!” mindset that will carry with them for life. Transitioning to primary school is going to be an exciting journey, with many new learning opportunities for your child!
Register now with My First Skool for your child to gain a holistic learning experience with us!
