Starting primary school is an exciting time for children as they begin their journey of education and learning. Before you know it, your child will be making friends, cherishing their independence, discussing new topics they’ve learnt that week, and enhancing their skills.
Before the big day arrives, it would be useful to have a go practising what your child’s mornings will look like. This way they can prepare well beforehand and understand everything that will go on in their school mornings.
Look for interesting things along the way while you walk to school or drive to get your child excited and ensuring a positive experience. Have conversations with your child on what they can expect at their new primary school, whether in their classes or break times. We recommend visiting the school and meeting your child’s new teachers, this way your little one can familiarise themselves with their classroom, teachers, the cafeteria, and playground.
A healthy bedtime routine for children is essential for a successful day. Start “winding down” around 30 minutes before bedtime to give your child the opportunity to become calm and eventually sleep.
You can help them settle by reading a story, leaving a night light on, or by sitting with them for a short period of time.
As per NHS advice, sleep has been known to benefit memory, learning, attention, mood, behaviour and physical health. Below are the recommended hours of sleep for children by age:
Shopping for your child’s school uniform can be a fun and exciting experience. We recommend having their uniform and school shoes ready at least a month before school starts to ensure everything fits well and there won’t be any “Oh no’s” on the first day of school.
You can ask for a uniform list from their new school to know which pieces of clothing your child will need, from everyday uniform to P.E. time and possibly swimming lessons, depending on your school’s curriculum.
An important part of starting primary school is your child being on the road to independence.
Before school starts, ensuring your child is comfortable with certain tasks is essential for their daily routine. Examples can include, your child going to the toilet alone, being able to dress themselves correctly and undress themselves for changing into P.E. kits, being able to put their shoes on, eating with a knife and fork or being able to open everything in their lunchbox such as tricky yoghurts or juice cartons.
To build up your child’s confidence in these tasks we recommend jumping in as little as possible. Practise dressing and undressing at home to get your child used to the process. For shoes, you can opt for velcro instead of laces. For some trousers, children can have zips or fastening velcro straps instead of buttons if your child has difficulty unbuttoning clothing.
If your child is prone to a few accidents here and there and isn’t fully toilet trained, mention this to the teachers. You can always pack a small ‘hygiene’ bag in their school bag that includes spare underwear, wipes, socks, and possibly trousers. This way your child can be comfortable and not have to feel embarrassed after any accidents.
Practise at home how to go to the toilet, cleaning themselves properly, and pulling up their trousers, flushing the toilet and finally, washing their hands. The NHS UK Health Security Agency recommends a minimum of 15 seconds of physically washing your hands to remove germs.
Having breakfast in the morning is essential for your child’s day to day activities and development. According to the British Nutrition Foundation, “Healthy breakfasts can help children get the nutrients they need for growth and development, reduce hunger and support learning.”
Here are our top five easy to make breakfast suggestions:
You can have a schedule in place for a range of activities, whether it’s planning your morning routine with timeframes or having a weekly schedule to keep on top of your child’s activities and what is needed each day.
For example, weekly schedules can include your child’s day-to-day activities such as a library bag is needed for Monday, Wednesday they have swimming, Thursday is P.E. and Friday is show and tell. This way you have a reminder of what your child needs for school each day.
You can also make a schedule for the night before school, including tasks such as:
You can prepare your child for learning by beginning to practise some basics at home and set them up for a successful educational route, this can include:
Reading to your child improves their vocabulary and listening skills. This is also a great way to expand on their social skills and communication. Discover toys for learning to read.
Teach your child how to count through engaging games or number hunts around the house. You can also have a look at toys for learning to count.
Help build your child’s hand strength, hand-eye coordination, and finger dexterity in preparation for your child to start writing. You can introduce building blocks, arts and crafts and toys to aid fine motor skills to get your child started.
Explore a wide range of learning skill toys and educational toys to assist your child on their development journey. Getting ready for school can be a breeze for several children when practicing a school run, establishing a bedtime routine, preparing their school uniform in advance and encouraging independence. Other activities such as teaching personal hygiene, having a simple breakfast, figuring out your child’s weekly schedule and practicing literacy and numeracy early can set your child up for a smooth transition into primary school.
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