Is My Child Ready? (Pre-Primary)
As a parent, it can be difficult to know if your child is ready for school. When it comes to school readiness, parents' most common question is: when is the right time to start?
The answer isn’t always straightforward and can be different for every child. To help you decide if your child is ready, we’ve compiled some tips and suggestions specific to our school.
The following list focuses on skills that can help students have a smooth and stress-free transition. If your child is not doing some of the things on this list, don't worry. Work as a team with your child and start developing these skills to prepare them for school! We are happy to connect with you to provide any further advice.
Language
- Communicating their needs and speaking/listening to other children and adults
- Basic letter identification/sounds
- Understands and uses essential everyday words in English
- Can sit and concentrate for 3-5 minutes
Students create stronger bonds, and staff can provide better assistance if your child can communicate what they need or understand basic classroom instructions.
If your family, more specifically, if your child primarily speaks another language outside of English, we recommend parents start using essential everyday words in English a few months before starting school. Early childhood research says practicing more than one language can stimulate child brain development and encourage creativity and problem-solving. We also recommend reading books!
Social-Emotional
- Plays cooperatively with other students ((i.e., takes turns and shares)
- Engages in play (seeks out play with other children)
- Identifies and expresses emotions and desires
Children will further develop, identify and exercise their social-emotional skills with their teachers at school. However, exposure to a few basic social-emotional skills will prepare them to be in a classroom with different children. Set up a few play dates to practice!
Independence & Potty Training
- Eating and drinking
- All students must be fully potty-trained (No pull-ups or nap time diapers allowed)
- Hand washing
- Dressing
All students eat, drink, wash hands, and go to the toilet independently (adult supervision is present if any support is needed.) We recommend parents start encouraging appropriate levels of independence at home.
Other Skills
- Basic physical skills/coordination (running, jumping, holding crayons to color, etc.)
- Basic number sense
- Waiting for turns, turning pages of a book, etc.
A basic and early understanding of these skills will make your child's transition to school easier. This list will also help you identify whether your child is ready for school. Once in school, your child will further strengthen the skills listed above through activities and lessons specifically designed to improve cognitive thinking, social skills, independence, creativity, and more!
Now, last but not least...
Are YOU ready?
Sometimes we get so focused on whether our children are ready for school that we forget to think about ourselves! Transitions are difficult for everyone, whether a child or a parent, and separation anxiety or nervousness is absolutely normal. Your child is the apple of your eye. It can be challenging to share your typical childcare responsibilities with someone else. While this can be tricky, we encourage you to be open-minded and go with the flow.
No matter how prepared your child is, the first few days are always difficult or hectic. You may see some tears, yelling, or anger. We promise your child will transition and find their excitement for school! A little time, patience, and trust will get us there! Of course, with the help of this trusty list, you can take the extra step to be better prepared.