For children and their parents starting in Reception this September, it is an exciting time. With new activities, routines and uniforms to negotiate, it can also be stressful. As a parent you will be very tuned into all the newness and keen to make the best decisions to support your child. Whether your child has been in full time day care previously or this is their first experience of care outside of the home, school can feel like a whole new world to you both. So what can you do to make this transition run smoothly? How best can you help to prepare them?
Most importantly, try not get caught up in the frenzy of rumours about the supposed academic prowess of the other children in the year group! All children will start school with quite different experiences and abilities and ages depending when they are born in the school year. Some will know the alphabet, some will be able to count to 100 and others may barely know how to write or read their name. This does not matter! In some ways the teachers would prefer children to start from a base level all together. Knowing the names of all the letters but not their phonetic sounds is of limited benefit, and can confuse the child. However, having a broad verbal vocabulary is really important and this is something you can be key in developing. There are some simple things that all parents can do for their child which will definitely make their journey easier.
Read Read Read!
Little and often is ideal. Start from babyhood, reading picture books, modelling how to hold and peruse a book and always making books your go-to entertainment option from the start, rather than a screen. Books in the cot, in the car, by the bed and in the TV room. Repetition is also the key and your child will happily listen to the same stories over and over, especially if you take time to encourage them to make connections between written words and the pictures. Even when they cannot read the words independently, they will start spotting letter patterns subconsciously and absorbing vocabulary. As their vocabulary grows, move onto simple chapter storybooks with less pictures and more complex story lines. Again, read each one several times over and discuss the meanings of words and storylines with them. Use newly learnt vocabulary in everyday speech with them.
Finally, model good reading habits yourself by being seen often reading a book yourself. Making choosing their next book into an exciting trip, a treat, whether buying in shops or visiting the local library. And don’t forget, they have access to the wonderful Pre-Prep library at Barrow Hills!
Mrs Emmett, Librarian