The transition to school seems like a million years away when your child first starts nursery – and then all of a sudden, the time to prepare has arrived. There will be so many questions in your mind; is my child ready? How will he/she cope with the transition? What are the key differences between nursery and school?
There is no definitive list of things your child should be able to do before they go to school. And you might be surprised to know that the priority is on practical ‘life skills’ rather than academic achievements.
Here are our Top Ten school readiness skills, which parents can work on at home to complement what’s being taught at nursery, and these skills will make your child’s transition to school so much smoother.
Our top ten skills for your child to be school-ready:
1. To be able to use the toilet independently.
2. To sit and listen.
3. To be well rested (thanks to consistent sleep routines) and ready for action!
4. To be aware of other children.
5. To make healthy choices.
6. To feed themselves.
7. To dress themselves.
8. To be able to button up their coat and fasten their shoes.
9. To understand they must follow classroom rules and routines.
10. To recognise their own name when written.
Whilst not essential, parents can also work with their children and alongside practitioners to ensure children are familiar with holding books and listening to stories. Keep working on reading, and writing skills, encourage holding a writing tool correctly. Also, make it fun to learn numbers – recognising and identifying numbers from 1 – 10 and counting to 20.
And finally, relax…you’re not alone. Getting children ready for school is a team effort, and we’re right by your side!
Many working parents face a dilemma when their child reaches state nursery age. State nursery offers five half-day sessions a week during term-time only, leaving busy parents to juggle additional childcare, which can be complicated and stressful.
To meet the need for high quality pre-school education, The Wendy House has created Foundation Unit , which is a bespoke room in each of our settings, structured around the EYFS curriculum but with the added benefits of Spanish lessons, drama classes, dance lessons, football coaching, music and visits from a storyteller. The Wendy House Foundation Unit offers state nursery facilities, within a full-time private nursery setting, including term-time only places and funded places using the government’s childcare provision, making it possible for families to benefit from structured pre-school education, with the added reassurance of flexibility including school holiday cover and extended hours.
At Foundation Unit, a key focus is on school readiness, building and nurturing all the skills your pre-school child will need to be ready for the big change to school.
Our practitioners are chosen specifically for their skills in working with pre-school-aged children. They are all qualified and hold an early years-related degree or Early Years Professional Status.
In order to help your child with the transition from pre-school to Reception we have worked closely with local schools within our partnership groups to find out what skill qualities they will need, and we will do everything we can to make the transition as smooth as possible.
We work closely with local schools to ensure information about your child is shared in preparation for the move. We ask you to provide the details of your child’s school, so we can invite their class teacher to visit. Your child’s key person will discuss with them your child’s development and show them their nursery journal. Meeting their new teacher for the first time within the familiar surroundings of nursery helps smooth the transition.
For more information contact us on 0121 270 5020
Wendyhousedaynursery.co.uk
