WHY DO PRE-PREP CLASSES: Get Ready, Get Set, GO To Prep
Stacey’s Independent Learning
WHY DO PRE-PREP CLASSES: Get Ready, Get Set, GO To Prep
As an Allied Health (Speech Pathologist Assistant) student and a mother of 2 one of whom is special needs and also as a casual Teacher Aide, my aim is to help families as this transition period, is an exciting and a time with lots change and apprehension. How do you know if the time is right, by careful observation by you, working with other stake holders, you’re child is in contact with daily. Hoping this post will be able to help by manage some of those factors by making this period ENJOYABLE where memories can be made and therefore providing a lot less stress for all.
By accessing pre-prep readiness classes this will give your child the foundations, call it a little passport of having established a routine’s with some academic skills along with social skills and self awareness that he/she have had required some knowledge and the self confidence so that they can settle in to first term and the first year of school life.
Readiness of going to school develops in all our children at different stages as each child demonstrates specific strengths in areas along with preferences on how they like to learn, again not all children will have all these skills either before attending school, but by working through this little passport of things this will definitely prepare them a lot better if they had none. At Stacey’s Independent Learning we only ever have a maximum of 6 this creates opportunity to learn and also have some one on one time as well. Having your child attend small group sessions like this enables those area’s that require a little extra time to flourish through a fun, play based manner of learning
My personal 6 tips for skill building of what l believe to be area’s l consider to be important to help with School Readiness:
1. Social and emotional Being able to respond when spoken to, using appropriate greetings. Using tissues or handkerchiefs, going to the toilet independently. Being able to play on the playground safely. Sharing and caring showing empathy towards others, understand turn taking. Being able to putting away learning materials and toys when asked
2. Gross motor skills - Being aware of moving around objects and people and their position, having the ability to climb stairs, run, hops and sits in a chair to complete activities.
3. Literacy skills – Develop letter recognition being able identify his/ her own name in a printed form and being able to write their own name. Making connections with their favorite story’s and nursery rhymes as well as written words they see on the page and common logos they see around the place. Color
4. Numeracy skills Recognizing numbers 1-10 and shapes
5. Developing Concentration Skills - Follow simple instructions, raising our hand to ask questions, being able to sit on the mat for than 5 mins cross-legged, being able to complete a task from start to finish
6. Fine motor skills –The ability hold a pencil with pincer grip, hold scissors correctly and cut, able to draw, color and attempt to write own name. (Not necessarily, color in the lines or cut on along a straight line or spell name in the right order). Opening lunch boxes, unwrapping school lunches and opening and drinking from drink bottles.
By having these skills it encourages them to display some independence and makes this time enjoyable and more relaxing.
Source: Qld Education and Head start too School
