Starting school is exciting and nerve-wracking for children (and parents!). Some children might be all set to go, others a little more anxious. The holidays ahead of the first term are a great time to build up some basic and practical skills your child will need for school.
So, The Trybe has teamed up with some educational experts and mumpreneurs to create a practical back-to-school guide to help you calm nerves, get organised and enjoy one of your child’s first big milestones. ,
Leap Street specialise in teaching the foundations of literacy and numeracy from an early age, to create confident and motivated learners. And with the school holidays in full swing, co-founders Caroline and Emma have put together some tips to help you engage your children over the summer break…
Encourage independence by getting your child to practice opening and closing their lunchbox, getting themselves dressed, putting on their own shoes and carrying their own school bag around the house.
Fine motor skills are required in so many different everyday activities at school. You can help develop fine motor skills by encouraging your child to use scissors to cut paper, use play dough to create things, thread beads to make bracelets, use a spray bottle to spray indoor and outdoor plants and use tongs or chopsticks to transfer small items (such as craft pom poms) from one container to another.
Develop listening and reading skills by reading and sharing stories together, hunt for letter sounds in your environment (I Spy), play rhyming games, sing songs, and encourage your child to practice writing their name.
Make counting part of everyday activities by counting shells at the beach, fruit at the shop and trees on the street. Cook together and get your child to measure out items, go for a walk and talk about house numbers, use comparative language in conversations (bigger, smaller than) and sing number songs.
Over the summer holidays, we strongly encourage, establishing a regular bedtime – school is exhausting! Organising play dates if you have the contact details of peers which will be in your child’s class. And most importantly talk positively about school and your experiences.
Commencing school is such an exciting milestone for any child and adopting some of the above strategies can assist in developing a happy and confident Prep student.
About Leap Street
Leap Street is dedicated to staying up to date with the latest educational research to ensure their programs deliver evidence-based practices that meet the needs of their students. Leap Street founders, Emma Ellsmore and Caroline Peters believe prioritising early exposure to education makes for more confident, happy students which leads to significantly improved educational outcomes in later stages. https://www.leapstreet.au/