Preparing for the Practicalities of Starting School
This Starting School post was originally published in January of 2010 and provides a list of practical life skills that can help to smooth the transition to the more formal setting of ‘big school’ for our littlest citizens.
With many children starting school for the first time within the next two weeks, I thought it would be useful to provide parents with a reminder checklist of practical skills which might be helpful in easing your child’s introduction to the school environment.
1. Can your child put on and take off his school shoes or sandals by himself?
2. Can your child put on and take off a t-shirt, jumper and jacket (including zipping it up) by herself?
3. Can your child open their lunchbox, drink bottle and any food packaging (including gladwrap from sandwiches) by himself?
4. Does your child know which items are for eating at recess or ‘little lunch’ and which are for lunchtime?
5. Does your child recognise her own belongings – school bag, lunchbox, drink bottle?
6. Does your child recognise his own name?
7. Does your child know how to wipe herself independently when toileting? Can she undo and do up any buttons, zippers and other fastenings on her clothing to use the toilet?
8. Does your child know how to wash his hands thoroughly and independently? And when to do so?
9. Does your child know how to apply sunscreen independently?
10. Does your child help to pack away her own toys and games?
11. Is your child in a good bedtime routine so that he is well rested for school?
You can read more about why these practical skills are important for children starting school in my previous school readiness posts.
How have you been preparing in the lead up to starting school?
Related Posts
- Starting School: 12 Tips for Easing Separation Anxiety
- Starting School: A Child’s Eye View
- New Beginnings: A Reflection on Starting Kindergarten
Phew! Yep 11/11 (well a little struggle with Gladwrap nasty stuff and well the picking up games and toys certainly has the skill but not always activated (but pretty good though). She passes. She can go! Lucky really as theres only 5 more sleeps to go : )
Two weeks before school starts I start packing my girls lunch boxes and we have recess and lunch at the same time as school does. It is good practice with the containers and learning what is snack and what is lunch. Also gives me a great idea how much they are eating.
We also start enforcing school term bedtimes and wake the girls up at school wake up time.
Only in summer holidays though because during the other school holidays we stick to school bed time and wake up time. They are two short to change the routine for.
My oldest is halfway through first grade now, and I've seen these kinds of lists a few times now. But when he started kindergarten, I hadn't. And it would have been so helpful! I was confident in his letter recognition, counting, and other "school" skills, but didn't realize what a big part of school "life skills" are. It's very important to know that your little one will be able to handle life at school, not just that they know their colors. (Fortunately the transition has gone well for us, and he loves school!)
This is a great, practical list. It's hard for some parents to stop doing all of these things for their kids, but they have to if the little one's are going to be able to thrive in the real world "on their own."
Hi Christie
I had a revelation (whilst camping over the christmas break) and coaching through the wall toileting, the toilet door!! latch etc …… too much to think about thank you for making it simple 🙂
PS love you and Teacher Tom !
Great list Christie, if only we’d given this out back when I was teaching! I can’t count how many times little ones would be asking me to open various things in their lunchbox or tie their shoelaces when I was on duty 🙂
That is a great list Christie. Lots of mums I know have little ones starting so shall share on facebook. Nic
Thanks, Nic 🙂
I like this list!! My oldest will enter kinder in the fall and I think we’ve got all the bases covered (well maybe we need to brush up on our sunblock skills)! Yay, I feel prepared!
I have a perfectionist daughter with average motor skills.
These lists just make me panic, feel worried and feel like a bad mother.
Please don’t assume that if a child can’t take off their t-shirt independently (etc) that their mother hasn’t tried and tried and tried and tried.
I’ve learned by now that I can’t “make” my daughter do anything. I can only show her, encourage, get her to practice. I can’t change her temperament.
She just gives up if she can’t do something the first time. If your child doesn’t have this temperament, then you can’t possibly understand.
As for kindergarten teachers having to help children learn how to do things? That just goes with the territory. Perhaps they should teach high school instead of opening a lunchbox is too taxing.