We are almost half way through the year, and the new 2019 school year is fast approaching.

Starting school is a time of excitement and new beginnings, filled with new hopes, dreams, expectations and wonderings.  Being ready for school, is a matter of much discussion, and us, the parents, sometimes have a lot of questions:

“Is my child going to feel anxious?”  

“Is he/she ready and going to cope?”

“Do they have the skills needed to learn and perform at the expected standard?”

I guess, there are many aspects to consider when discussing school readiness.  Let’s have a look at some of those aspects.

So what are some of the self care skills needed for a child to be independent at school?

• Getting dressed and undressed:
  • Putting/taking off jackets
  • Manage putting shoes on and off
• Managing their lunchboxes and also their contents (e.g. opening and closing containers)
• Going to the bathroom and managing their toilet needs independently
• Looking after and organising their belongings (e.g. their school bag, their school supplies).

What about playing and getting along with their peers?

• Social interactions and effective communication:
  • Turn taking
  • Interacting with their peers in a positive manner
  • Being able to share
  • Being able to make friends
  • Being thoughtful and showing empathy towards their friends
  • Being able to express their feelings.
• Self regulation:
  • Controlling their emotions
  • Being able to contain a tantrum
  • Being able to not get upset if they lose a game or they don’t get their way
  • Being able to adapt quickly to a change in routine.

Pre-writing, handwriting, letters and numbers recognition:

• Pre-writing skills and writing
  • Drawing vertical, horizontal lines
  • Diagonal and crosses
  • Developmental readiness
  • Draw a person
  • Shoulder strength and stability
  • Hand and finger strength
  • Pincher grasp
  • Pencil grip
  • Hand eye coordination
  • Instructional steps of writing a letter, where is the starting point, what are the steps in fully completing the letter, letter placement on dotted thirds.
• Letter and number recognition:
  • Learning and memorising letter formation and sounds
  • Matching letter sounds with the visual letter.

Fine motor skills:

• Using scissors and cutting
• Using utensils such as glue stick, sharpeners, rulers, etc.

To be honest this list can go on, but those are some of the main skills that come to mind when considering school readiness.

To sum it up, going to school is an exciting time for children and parents alike.  School readiness is important, yet it does not need to be overwhelming.  In the upcoming weeks we will consider the above list in more detail and will also discuss ideas, activities and resources that will support children throughout this important childhood transition.

In the mean time, if you would like more information about school readiness, occupational therapy and how we can assist your child, please contact us at EquipKids.