Off to school
Making the transition from
daycare, preschool, or the home environment to school doesn't need
to be stressful, explains deputy principal Deborah Barclay.
The transition from preschool to primary school are some of the
most significant steps your child will take in their young
years. As your little one's fifth birthday draws near, it is
natural to start feeling that a big change is coming. The school
setting is a lot more structured and formal than kindergarten and
preschool, and for this reason it can be a little daunting for
newcomers. For some children, it can be an overwhelming experience
and can take time to adjust to, as with any major change in life.
Other children skip into school, so excited to be there at long
last!
It can be a good idea to start looking at
schools at least six months prior to your child's start date. This
gives you plenty of time to shop around for the school that will
best suit your child. The zoning in your area or the number of
schools close to where you live may impact your decision-making.
There are also practical issues to consider, such as transport to
and from school or safe walkways to school.
If you do have a choice of schools, be
sure to do your research. Choosing a school is an important
decision and you want a school that will suit your child. Start by
giving the school a phone call and ask if you can come in to pick
up an enrolment pack. This will give you both general and specific
information about the school, such as the roll number, the decile
number, school uniform requirements, school donations, stationery
requirements etc.
If possible, ask for an appointment to be
shown around by the head of the junior school. This person will
give you more in-depth information about the school, such as the
structure of the classrooms ie; numbers/year groups, available
resources, and any special programmes they have running, sports
groups etc. As an added bonus, you will get to have a good look at
the school environment, meet some of the teachers, and see inside
the new entrant classrooms. It also gives you an opportunity to ask
any questions that may be specific to your child or the school
itself. Some schools also have information mornings or evenings for
new parents, and information about these would be found on the
school website.
Each term, as deputy principal I tour many
parents around our school, and I always see it as a wonderful
opportunity to promote the special character of our school, the
programmes we offer, and the strengths of our school. Many parents
tell me that they get a "feel" for a school when they enter it.
Ultimately, you want to be greeted by friendly staff who enjoy
their job, and you want to feel welcome. Like all workplaces,
schools have a special culture, and often this is evident from the
time you walk through the front gate.
If you visit the Education Review Office
website (www.ero.govt.nz), you
can view any school's most recent ERO report. ERO review schools
and early childhood education services, and publish national
reports on current education practice.
The ERO website also provides you with a
section on "Key Questions to Ask A School", which is really helpful
for parents new to starting children at school.
Most schools appreciate a completed
enrolment form at least two to three months prior to your child
starting school. This information can be very helpful to the
school, as it enables them to make well-informed decisions about
class numbers and staffing.
Typically, a preschooler will have three
school visits prior to starting school. This is an opportunity for
them to meet their teacher, to find out where the toilet is, to see
where to hang their bag and jacket, and to familiarise themselves
with the students in the class and, of course, the classroom
environment itself.
It can also be a good idea to visit the
school in the weekends to familiarise your child with the school
playground and to ensure that they are confident on the equipment.
You can point out their classroom and remind them that they are
going to have such a great time at school.
From the moment they step into the
classroom, your child begins their wonderful journey of formal
learning. The new-entrant classroom is a rich earning environment.
It is laden with new vocabulary, colourful visuals, interactive and
fun activities, and usually a kind and patient teacher. It is the
perfect place for a little person to learn, grow, and
explore!
The development of a child in their first
year at school is very exciting from a teacher's perspective. They
encounter so many new experiences and make such quick gains
socially and academically. It has always been my favourite year
group to teach for this very reason.
To be confident that your child will cope
with the demands of their new earning environment some skills that
can be helpful for them to have on board before starting school
are:
- Knowledge of alphabet letter names
- Ability to write their name
- Ability to recognise their name in written
form
- Ability to correctly hold and use a writing tool such as
a pencil
- Ability to use a pair of scissors
- Knowledge of basic colours and shapes.
These are not essential, but will
certainly get your child off to a great start. Remember that
children all start school with different levels of skills and
abilities, and they develop at their own pace. It is important not
to compare them with any other children as they are on their own
special pathway of learning.
One of the key aspects that concerns
parents when their child begins school is their ability to adjust
socially. I recently did a survey at my own school with parents of
new entrant students and it was clearly evident that according to
parents, the success of school life was dependent on their child's
ability to:
- Engage with their peers positively
- Take turns
- Share
- Be accepted as part of a social group.
Teachers also place this high on
their list of priorities for children, as it often determines a
child's initial success at school. Children who are friendly and
confident, cooperate with other children, and cope well with
transitions usually fit into a classroom with ease and have an
easier time making friends.
The ability to socialise well at a young
age is often dependent on a child's prior experience with peers
their own age, whether they have brothers and/or sisters, whether
t
hey have attended preschool, and the
role their extended family has played in their lives.
Most teachers will tell you that all
children adjust and settle in after a short period of time. Often
(although this can be hard for parents to hear!) they settle a lot
more quickly once their parent has left the classroom. Many tears
have dried up even before Mum or Dad leave the school
grounds.
Once they are familiar with their teacher,
the routines of the classroom, and know the rules and boundaries of
the classroom, they quickly settle into school life. Teachers are
experienced at supporting students in all situations, and if there
are any issues, you can work together to put strategies in place to
ensure your child is happy and settled.
Junior classrooms are structured and have
a set routine, and most children respond really well to both of
these. They enjoy the security of knowing what is happening each
day. For any special events, such as assemblies or excursions out
of the school, teachers will give you and your child plenty of
notice.
Be sure to pack easy-to-open foods in
their lunchboxes, and send along plenty of fluids. Young children
often forget to drink and most teachers need to remind children to
keep up their fluids throughout the day, especially in the summer
months.
Managing their new lunchbox could be a
challenge! It is a good idea to have either separate areas in their
lunchbox, or separate containers identifying food for morning tea
and food for lunch. It is not unusual for new students to eat all
of their food at morning tea and have nothing left for lunch! Label
all of their property - drink bottle, hats, shoes, and jumpers - as
this will ensure their safe return if they go missing.
Check to see what the school's policy on
sunhats is. Most schools have a "no hat, no play" policy in place
to protect children from the sun.
Until your child can tie their shoelaces,
it is not a good idea to send them along in shoes that require
laces being tied - often it causes an unnecessary stress.
Be prepared in the first few weeks for a
range of emotions to surface. Five-year-olds find the first term at
school exhausting, and they can become really tired by the end of
the day. They are dealing with separation from their parent(s), new
adults, new friendships, possible conflict with their friends, and
they are also expected to take on board a lot of new learning in
literacy and numeracy. A school day is very busy and full-on.
When I was a new-entrant teacher, I always
suggested to parents that they pick their child up just after lunch
or early in the afternoon, just for their first week or two. Easing
children into school slowly can certainly help.
Many schools now have a "before- and
after-school care programme" on-site, which opens at 7am and serves
breakfast, and is open after school until 6pm. Although this might
not be a consideration now, in time, when they are a few years
older and you want care outside-of-school hours, it can be a
saviour - especially for working parents.
It is quite common for schools to have
six-weekly interviews for new-entrant students. This is an
opportunity for you to sit down with the teacher, uninterrupted,
and discuss how the first six weeks have gone. The teacher will
give you a clear idea on how your child has settled and how they
are coping socially. It is also a time to discuss their learning
and what they are working toward achieving.
Finally, and most importantly, enjoy this
journey with your child! In 15 years of teaching, I have never met
a child who does not enjoy school. School is a fun, caring, and
rich learning environment. As with anything in life, it has its ups
and downs, but with the support of their teacher and
yourself, your child will do well. You will be delighted and amazed
at the incredible gains they make each day as you watch them become
lifelong learners.
Deborah Barclay is a Deputy Principal at a North Shore
school in Auckland. She has been teaching for 15 years. Deborah has
a Master of Education and a Bachelor of Education, and facilitates
workshops in the North Shore on "Transitioning Children to
School".
Further reading
There is a fantastic series of eight books called the "Feelings
Series". They are written and illustrated by Trace Moroney. We use
these at school often, and they would be great books to have at
home to read to children as they experience new situations and
emotions at school. The books cover eight feelings: "When I'm
feeling… Loved, Jealous, Kind, Lonely, Sad, Angry, Scared, and
Happy." At the back of the book there is a page called "Background
Notes for Parents". I highly recommend these books for young
children.
As seen in OHbaby!
magazine Issue 12: 2011
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