Wildflower Holistic Services - Principal Psychologist Alexandra McCarthy

Part 2 - How Can I Help My Child Be School Ready?

Welcome to the second instalment of our school readiness blog! Last fortnight, explored what it means for a child to be ready for school and key factors to consider when assessing their readiness. Today, we’re diving into practical ways you can help your child develop the essential skills for a successful start to school.

Practice Fine Motor Skills: Engage your child in activities that promote fine motor skills such as colouring, cutting, and writing. These skills are crucial for classroom tasks like handwriting and using classroom materials. Encourage activities that involve hand-eye coordination and precision, such as using a spray bottle to water plants, squeezing sponges/clothes when in the bath, manipulating playdough or putty, using pegs to help with the washing or encouraging kids to serve their own food using tongs.

Self-Care Skills: Establishing morning, bedtime, and ‘get ready’ routines can be an important part of school readiness. Use a visual schedule to help your child follow the steps for getting ready in the morning, getting dressed, and preparing for bed. Encourage self-dressing with easy-to-manage clothes like velcro shoes and elastic waist pants, to build independence. Teaching toileting routines and proper hand-washing techniques is also vital for their
independence.

Emotional Regulation: School can be an emotional challenge for children. Help your child identify and name their emotions by using picture books, emotions cards, or a ‘feelings chart’ where they can point to how they feel - you could try it with the whole family to help build emotional awareness. Integrating these tools at home mirrors classroom practices and builds emotional literacy, providing a headstart in managing their emotions.

Language Skills: Reading together is a fantastic way to develop language skills. Ask open- ended questions about the story to enhance comprehension and vocabulary. Encourage your child to tell their own stories or recount their day, fostering narrative skills and language development.

Executive Functioning: Activities that promote planning, organisation, time management, working memory, and self-regulation are essential. Visual schedules can promote executive functioning skills, for example, a morning/get-ready routine for your child to understand the steps involved in getting ready. Allocate specific time blocks for activities like play and chores to improve time management. Memory games like “Simon Says” are excellent for enhancing working memory and attention.

Play Skills: Role-playing games, such as acting out “teacher” and “student” can mimic school scenarios and build social skills. Activities like blocks or LEGO sets encourage problem-solving and creativity. Interaction with other children is crucial for practising sharing, turn-taking, and negotiating during play. Group therapy is particularly valuable for honing these social and play skills in a real-time setting with peers and therapists to provide real-time feedback and learning opportunities.

If you have a little legend who is preparing for kindergarten in 2025, our School Readiness group starting in Term 4 is an excellent opportunity to practice all the above skills to ensure a smooth transition into school. Group therapy not only supports social and play skills but also incorporates evidence-based strategies to develop fine motor skills, self-care, eye coordination, pencil grip, pre-writing skills and more. Our program is designed to build a solid foundation for future learning, making the preparation for school both effective and enjoyable for both children and parents.

By nurturing these skills early on, you can make the journey to school readiness a positive and enriching experience for your child - and of course, reach out for help where you need it!