Is my child ready for school?

When it comes to little ones making the big leap to primary school, parents often ask about the perfect age to start. Sure, there are laws that dictate when a child must start school, but what if your child is on the cusp? Do you enrol them now or wait another year?

If you are sitting on the fence about enrolling your child, or you have a child that you are concerned may not be quite ready (and may require some intervention first), here are some things to consider:

· Social skills

· Communication skills

· Fine and gross motor skills

· Independence skills

· Emotional self-regulation & Resiliency

Think of the points below as a starting point for making sure your child is ready for school. Your child does not have to excel in each of these areas, nor be achieving every single one. Rather, these points are a guide to what will be expected as your child enters the schooling world.

SOCIAL SKILLS

It is normal for a child to be either shy, outgoing or somewhere in between. Each child has their own personality and should be encouraged to be themselves. Here are some social skills questions you should consider to gauge if your child is ready for school.

How well does your child cope with change?

Children are naturally creatures of habit. But if a slight change in routine throws your child into a spin of anxiety, they may not be quite ready for the constant changing environment that school brings. Schools are flexible environments where not only do the learning topics change, but learning spaces and even classroom teachers can change throughout a typical school day. Teachers aim to support students through these changes but if your child does not cope well with change this aspect could be particularly challenging for them.

Does your child separate from you easily?

Is popping to the shops and leaving your child with another carer a cause for a meltdown? The more experienced and confident children are to separate from their parents, the smoother the transition will be each schooling day. I will talk more about strategies to help with separation anxiety in the “What if my child has separation anxiety?” section.

Does your child comply with requests to finish an activity when asked?

I always laugh at Kindergarten orientations when I will ask students to finish where they are up to and come sit on the floor for the next activity, and I am met with a politely spoken “no, thank you!” Young children are encouraged at preschools and home to immerse themselves in activities, and finish when they’re ready. However, the fast pace of school life means that many activities are often left unfinished or need to be finished at another time. Some children find this concept challenging when they first enter school.

Can your child take turns in a small group without assistance and when playing?

Turn taking is a big part of schooling (and life). Children need to be aware that listening is just as important as talking.

Whilst it is developmentally normal for your child to be eager to go first when speaking and playing, they need to be able to understand that they have to take turns within the classroom environment.

Can your child be responsible for their own possessions?

Children forget things and lose things. It's totally normal. But can they remember where they last had an item? Can they identify all their belongings? Can they remember what they left the house with?

Can your child sit and listen to an adult read a story to a large group?

This may be a hard question to answer without ever having a chance to witness your child doing it. If they attend a preschool, ask their educators. Otherwise, take them to a local library for a read-along and see how they cope.

If possible, an additional year of play based learning (for example, attending Preschool) can make a huge impact on a child’s social confidence and development.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Being able to confidently communicate is a vital part of schooling. Children need to be able to listen to instructions, as well as communicate to their teacher if they have questions or need help. Consider the following questions:

· Can your child listen attentively in a group situation and answer questions?

· Can your child talk clearly in full sentences?

· Can your child make their needs and wants clear to people (outside of family)?

· Can your child speak audibly and maintain eye contact with adults and other children?

· Can your child follow 2-3 step instructions independently? (e.g. Put your lunchbox in the tub, put your hat away and come to the mat or can you get your green socks and your white shoes and bring them to me?)

If you answered no to any of these questions, it is always helpful to get a speech therapy assessment prior to entering school to identify any communication or language issues. This can be arranged through your local doctor.

FINE & GROSS MOTOR SKILLS

Children develop fine and gross motor skills at different speeds. The main things to be aware of here are your child's ability to balance and manage changes in the environment independently (e.g. stairs, obstacles and uneven ground). They should also be able to grasp a pencil or paintbrush (it does not need to be a perfect grip) and have some control over a pair of scissors (again, this does not need to be perfect by any means). Your child will also need to have the coordination to do things like dress and undress themselves, unpack and unwrap their lunch, and use classroom materials.

If your child is having any issues with their fine or gross motor skills, then I highly recommend seeing an occupational therapist for an assessment prior to starting school. This can be arranged through your local doctor.

INDEPENDENCE SKILLS

Can your child put on their shoes and get dressed independently?

There are many reasons children may take their shoes off at school - dance, sport, or as a reward. Of course, teachers are there to help, but they do not have time to put on twenty pairs of shoes for students after each dance lesson. Children are also expected to be able to dress themselves after going to the toilet or having an accident which will require a fresh change of clothes at school.

Can your child go to the toilet independently?

This is a big one - there is no bum wiping help in big school! Accidents will still happen in the first year of schooling (which I find are mostly due to being so engrossed in activities or not wanting to miss something). If accidents are a daily occurrence, this might be something that is worth investigating with a paediatrician.

Other independence questions to ponder include:

· Can your child wash and dry hands independently?

· Can your child blow and wipe their nose effectively?

· Can your child unwrap and eat lunch, peel fruit and manage their lunchbox?

· Can your child recognise their belongings among others (e.g. a hat or jumper)?

· Can your child unpack/pack their own school bag independently?

For more advice on school readiness, make sure you grab a copy of our Parent Guide here.