Going from kindergarten to primary one
Here's how you can know if your child is ready to go through such huge transition
Is my child ready for primary one?
Entering primary school is a huge transition for your child. This transition can bring a lot of anxiety for parents as they may not know if their child is ready for primary one. These are some of the important characteristics your child needs to be ready for primary one:
1. Social skills
Going to a new school means meeting new people. Social skills are vital to meeting new people as it allows a person to develop and maintain a positive relationship with others. Children can gain such skills by hanging out with people of around the same age to be able to socialise.
Ensure that your child is equipped with social skills before heading to primary one. You can do this by talking to your child about the change of his social circle as well as the new faces he is going to meet. You can also help develop this skill by making your child communicate either in a verbal or non-verbal form. This can help your child learn to express themselves so that they can interact with others appropriately.
Basic literacy is not limited to just writing and reading, it even includes telling the time and counting money! Your child should be able to tell the time so that he can keep track and not be late for class. Simple tasks like handling money are also important when your child buys things from the canteen or from the book store.
When your child handles money for the first time, he may get overly excited and result in not managing his money well. You can start out by helping your child learn by teaching him the value of money as well as recognising the different coins and notes. This helps your child understand the process of how money changes hand.
In primary school, there are many sets of rules for your child to adhere to. These rules are to ensure the safety of your child as well as to enhance the efficiency of lessons so that your child can learn as much as he can in school. You can also familiarize yourself and your child with the school’s rules and regulation in the student handbook which will be provided. Allow time for your child to understand the purpose of these rules and the consequences of breaking them.
4. Routine
It will be beneficial to set up a timetable at home so that your child can practice adhering strictly to the time as his school would do the same. As school hours will start fairly early, it may also be helpful to set your child’s timetable at an earlier timing so that he will be ready when school starts.
Furthermore, designing a timetable for your child will allow him to gain the ability to read the time. You can also teach your child to follow the clock at the same time so that he is able to follow closely to the timetable.
5. Responsibility
When your child enters primary school, there will be more items that he’ll have to pack in his bag as compared to kindergarten. Your child should be able to take care of their own personal belongings and have the responsibility to keep them back in his back after use.
You can teach your child to tidy up his belongings by starting with tidying up his toys at home after use. To prevent your child from missing items, you can also label all the items in his bags with his name so that in case your child forgets to put the item back in his bag, other people can return it to him.
6. Communication
When your child is facing a new environment, he may also be faced with anxiety. It is important to acknowledge your child that it is normal for him to feel this way. Listen to your child’s worry and demonstrate confidence that they can handle the situation.
Remember to validate your child’s worries instead of dismissing it as he may feel insecure if he feels that his feelings are not important.
These skills are necessary for your child to have before he enters primary school so that they can become independent even without close supervision of their parents when in school.
