A question on many parents' lips at this time of year is “will my child be ready for school?” It’s also on some parents’ minds more than ever as the uncertainty over nursery and school openings continues. The first thing to say is this: the most important thing in these challenging times is to focus on relationships, reassurance, relaxation and connection. Children will be best prepared for school if they are feeling happy and relaxed. This is far more important than any amount of formal learning.
Interestingly, being ready for school doesn’t always mean what we would think it might. When I first started teaching, children were expected to walk into school on their first day of school and write their name. I remember talking to parents who were trembling with anxiety as they knew their child simply wasn’t ready to do this. Fortunately, we have come a long way since then!
What does ofsted say?
The Ofsted Education Inspection Framework focuses on children acquiring what is called ‘cultural capital’. Essentially, this is about how we prepare children to succeed in the future.
For children starting school in September, there are of course important areas of a child’s development to focus on. However, while many parents worry about their child’s ability in language and maths, the reality is that time is best spent focusing on two key areas.
The first is emotional wellbeing and resilience.
The second is children’s love of, and attitudes to learning.
Does this mean that if your child is ready for reading, writing and maths you should hold them back? Of course not. It does mean that learning should be fun, it should take into account children’s interests, and the primary focus should be on how children learn not what they are learning.
If you are finding you are having to coax and cajole your child into sitting with you each day to carry out a learning activity, the chances are they are not enjoying it. This means their brain won’t be receptive to what you are trying to teach, and it also means they are potentially already building up barriers to learning. A favourite saying of mine is, “A happy brain is an open brain”. Essentially, children need to enjoy what they are learning!
what is my child interested in?
Start with what you know your child loves doing. Then think about how you can integrate learning into this. Whether they love nature, dancing, cars, drawing or building, there will be opportunities for speaking, listening, concentrating, counting, creativity and thinking.
how can i make this fun?
Children love learning and they love having fun. If you want to encourage your child to write, instead of using writing templates that they have to copy, instead try giving them a notebook and a pencil so they can write a shopping list or take orders for lunch! These early scribbles may not look like writing, but are vital for building confidence and a positive approach to writing. Many children will then ask for help to make their letters look like writing, and then you can offer to show them.
embrace mistakes
Making mistakes is essential, and every mistake made is an opportunity for learning. Children shouldn’t ever be afraid of making a mistake. If things go wrong, our role is not to fix it quickly or tell them why they got it wrong.
Instead, we can problem-solve with children to figure out what went wrong and what they would do differently next time. If this is done in a relaxed way, children learn a positive approach to mistakes and to problem-solving.
children leading learning
A final tip - if your child takes learning in a different direction than you had planned, follow their lead. It is important we stay focused on what children want to learn, rather than thinking too much about what we want to teach!
Stay tuned…
Part 2 will look at the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and will focus on how we can help children develop the ‘characteristics of effective learning’. Please also look out for activity ideas from our kindergarten managers on our facebook page!