A few of you were showing interest in knowing what would help your child be prepared for school, and give them a good start on their road of education. I work with Year one at the moment which is the 5/6 years olds, and there are definitely things you could be doing to help with the foundations of their education. So here is an insight of what we do at school with your blossoms and some things you could be doing at home to help them along a bit.
A large proportion of children struggle with is counting the teen numbers. So when counting with them always go to at least 20. (oh just a little note, can it be thirteen instead of ferteen)
Seeing the numbers written down, so they recognize them
Knowing numbers out of context, for example, children learn to count up in ones by rote but ask them a number out of order, you then know if they really know what it really is and what it looks like.
For the bright ones counting up in tens would be helpful, because we teach them in year one their 10, 5, and 2 timetables.
The best way to help your child learn about counting and counting on, adding, is good old fashioned board games. Because the first thing we teach them is counting on, adding, and counting back, taking away. But we cannot do any of this until they have got the basic counting up and back in ones and recognising their numbers.
We all know that reading every day with your child helps them with their writing and reading. It’s not only about reading to them but about asking them about the story, getting them to talk about what is happening in a picture. Making up imaginative stories getting them to finish stories off. The talking comes before the writing. If a child cannot explain it to you in words then there is no way they can put it down in writing.
It is so helpful that at this age they can write their name. They should have had a lot of practise with this in reception class.
If you are starting to practise writing at home, make sure that you are using lower case letters because many children for some reason write in capital letters. I think this is partly down to the computer keyboard they see the letters at an early age on the keyboard and of cause it is all in capitals.
Knowing the names of the letters as well as the sound of a letter is good too. We always ask for the name and the sound because they need to be able to sound out a word and be able to write those letters.
Last little plea…It would so help my day, because it takes up so much time if not, can…
- all the jumpers have their names on
- children can put their own socks on
- use a knife and fork
- practice putting their new coat on and off, doing the zip up!
- and have manners
I thought it might be a nice and helpful idea to offer any advice to parents who child is first starting school in September, just from a teacher’s point of view! Obviously all schools do things in different ways, but the worries are still the same!
Maybe questions about the curriculum, homework, making friends, what’s helpful for children to know before starting school to help them along, reading books, general routine in schools, questions like that. I don’t promise to know everything but I will do my best!
So go on fire away, what do you want to know?
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