If you have a child aged between four and five years old, chances are you have heard the term ‘school readiness’. It can be daunting thinking about all the skills your child might need before they head off to school and the concept of ‘readiness’ can be confusing. So, what makes a child ready for school?
This, of course, looks different for every family. Children develop at their own pace, and there isn’t a right or wrong answer when it comes to school readiness. However, you can help your child build school skills and help them feel confident when it comes to their transition into the new environment.
In this blog we will look at what makes transitioning into the school environment difficult for some children, an OT’s perspective on school readiness, and how we can help your children get ready for school.
What is the Big Deal with Big School?
We’ve all been there, and while we might not remember the exact details, starting school would have presented both good and bad sensations in all of us. You might have been excited, but also feeling nervous. Your head was likely full of all kinds of questions – What if my best friend is not in my class? What if I can’t do the work? Who will pick me up? And, as your child prepares to enter this new stage in their life, they are likely to be feeling and thinking just as you did.
These thoughts and feelings are generally brought about in all of us when we are faced with change or something new. When it comes to starting school, these feelings can be exacerbated because of the increased demands and expectations on a child’s:
- Independence
- Learning
- Sensory Needs
- Emotional Skills
- Social skills
- Motor skills
- Attention and concentration
- Behaviour
If a child has difficulties with any of the above, the transition to school experience can become quite challenging and can impact their ability to learn, make friends, and enjoy the school environment. Because of this, it is important to lay a foundation of support and set your child up to enjoy school and love learning.
How OT’s Help with School Readiness
The role of a Paediatric Occupational Therapist (OT) is to help children be as independent as possible in all areas of their daily life. For school-aged children and pre-schoolers, this of course, includes school. When we consider kindergarten, there are many ‘every-day’ skills that children will require. These might include being able to open their lunch box, respond to and follow directions, wash their hands, look after their belongings, behave appropriately, and the list goes on.
All children develop at their own pace. Some children will build skills during their time at preschool, and others will continue to grow and develop while they are in kindergarten. No matter where your child is up to, it is important that they have a happy and successful start to school, and that is where we can help.
OT’s can work with children who require additional support when it comes to ‘school readiness’ and can assist with the development and improvement of skills, including (but not limited to):
- Self-care (dressing, toileting, eating and drinking)
- Sleep
- Self-regulation
- Emotional regulation
- Play
- Motor skills
- Postural stability
- Handwriting
- Organisational skills
In some situations, OTs will work directly with the school to make adaptions and ensure the school environment is inclusive and accessible. We also work closely with families and teachers to develop and incorporate specific strategies into daily routines that can help prepare your child for the best start to their school life.
Helping Your Child Enjoy School and Love Learning
When we think about children starting school, the number one goal is to ensure they enjoy it and find a love for learning. To help your child achieve this goal, we have pulled together the following ideas and suggestions on what you can do in the lead up to their school journey.
Help Your Child Feel Safe, Secure and Familiar
Helping your child feel safe and secure within and around the school is paramount to their successful transition into the environment. If your child is familiar with the setting, they will feel confident and safe when they start kindergarten in the new year.
Look for opportunities to visit the school as often as possible. Of course, there will be an orientation program that is extremely helpful when it comes to helping kids feel safe and secure. You may also be able to arrange additional visits and perhaps meet your child’s teacher. Even drive-byes or walking to school can help your child become more familiar with the space and understand what the drop-off and pick-up routine might look like.
It is also important to consider if your child knows how to ask for help and understands what they should do if they forget their hat, fall over, or have a toileting accident at school. Checking in with your child to see if they know who they can go to and how to ask for help could be the difference in them having a good or bad day.
Help Your Child Feel Rested
We all know how it feels to tackle a day, especially a challenging one, when we have not had enough sleep. Ensuring your child has a good night sleep is vital when it comes to setting them up for a good school day. Children need their rest to be able to concentrate and attend in class. It will also help them navigate tricky situations and shake off any squabbles or worries easier.
When it comes to ensuring they have enough rest, set and stick to a bed-time routine. This, of course, can be a little tricky in the summer holidays when we have longer days, increased screen time and exciting things happening. But as the new school year gets closer, ensure your child has 10 – 11 hours of sleep per night. This is the recommended amount for children aged five to six years and will help them tackle the new day with a brighter outlook.
Help Your Child Feel Ready to Learn
Sensory regulation is an important component when it comes to being in the right frame of mind to learn. If your child is bothered by lights, noise and / or smells, unable to sit still for periods of time, gets tired very quickly and is generally distracted by sensations in and on their body; learning becomes that much harder.
To help your child feel ready to learn, start by observing their regulation patterns and the types of activities that seem to calm them down. Once you can find the activities that work well for your child you can start to build them into their daily routine so they get their ‘fix’ and are able to feel calm but alert.
OT’s can help with identifying the right activities to help your child regulate which might include what we refer to as ‘heavy work’ and vestibular activities. Heavy work can have a calming effect on the nervous system and these activities also tend to have a long latency effect which means that the ‘calm state’ seems to last for a long time after finishing the activity. Some of the activities might include:
- Jumping on the trampoline
- Wheelbarrow walks
- Animal walks
- Strength-based exercises (push ups, sit ups, planks, burpees)
- Climbing
- Pushing and pulling activities
- Building cubby houses with furniture and big pillows, cushions, and blankets
- Walking and riding a bike or scooter.
Help Your Child Emotionally Regulate
If your child is nervous about starting school, try and have a calm conversation with them about their feelings and help them understand that feeling scared and anxious is a part of life. You can help your child understand these emotions by talking about them regularly, utilising social stories, advising that other children will be feeling the same way and by encouraging them to point out or even draw where they feel nervous or funny (in their tummy, head, body muscles or their heart beating fast).
It can also help to find activities to do before and after school that will help your child settle their emotions including breathing exercises, having quiet time, completing an activity that helps them feel calm or maybe one of the ‘heavy work’ activities included in the above section.
You can also help your child feel brave while they are at school with some little gestures that helps them understand you are thinking of them. These gestures could include drawing a special mark on their hand or wearing a special necklace, bracelet or even superhero undies – whatever gives them a little confidence booster and ensures they know they are loved.
Help Your Child Build Independence and Self-Care Skills
Building independence in your school-aged child is important when it comes to helping them feel confident and safe in the new environment. But, as parents, it can be tricky to let go and encourage your child to do things on their own.
Try sitting back and letting your child ‘struggle’ a little with an everyday task before offering help. Also make sure you praise their efforts and commend them for getting as far as they did i.e. “I love how you keep trying. You are going to be a great learner.”
You can also encourage your child to practice some school skills to build their independence, including:
- Eating lunch from a lunchbox in 10 minutes
- Refilling their drink bottle from the tap
- Dressing themselves including putting on their shoes and socks
- Packing a backpack and walking around the house or garden while wearing it
- Peeling a banana or mandarin, and / or eating a whole apple with the skin on
- Using the toilet on their own including wiping, flushing, dressing, and washing their hands
- Reading stories together and talking about what happened
- Taking turns with board games or card games and playing ball games outside
- Writing and reading their full name
Help Your Child Develop Play and Social Skills
When it comes down to it, your child’s main job is to play and so much of their school day will be filled with play-based activities and fun.
Helping your child develop play skills will not only help them have fun while they are at school but will help them learn. During play-based activities children learn how to take turns, be a good looser, understand rules, communicate their needs i.e. “Can I play too?”, listen to others and build an understanding of social skills. They can also build their gross motor skills which become particularly important in the school playground.
During the summer holidays, ensure you give your child plenty of opportunities to play. This can be at home or in a playground. Setting up playdates with children going to the same school is a great way to build your child’s confidence (they will have a friend at school) and their social skills.
Starting school is such an exciting and important part of your family’s journey, but it can be a confusing, emotionally charged, and daunting time for both you and your child. Helping them practice school skills, taking time to visit and even play at the school, and generally building their confidence over the summer holidays will help them (and you) feel better about this new adventure.
If you have any concerns about your child’s development and ‘readiness’ for school, talk to one of our experienced OTs today.
