Bangalow Preschool

School Readiness

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School Readiness

Commencing 'big school' is a major event for a child and their family. The area of school readiness looks at all of the factors that are most important in preparing each child for a successful and productive time at school. Readiness is often incorrectly perceived to be based upon whether a child can count to 10 or 20 or write their name. However the most important factors associated with a successful start and continued learning in school relate to a child's social and emotional maturity. At Bangalow Preschool, developing those important social and emotional life skills doesn't just start in preschool - it starts from their first day with us. Every child's program is designed to allow our teachers to guide and lead our children through to the next step or stage in their individual learning and development. By providing numerous opportunities to learn, through varied experiences and activities, children are equipping themselves with those essential skills preparing them for the transition to school. The following outlines the goals of our school readiness program to ensure a child is adequately prepared for the transition to school:

Social

 feelings are important and they need to have reasonable control over their behaviour and emotions

 interact positively with children and adults through play and conversations

 share and take turns with equipment and during games

 work co-operatively with a small group of children

 solve conflicts with minimal adult assistance

 listen to others

 follow routines

 seek help when it is needed

 develop friendships

 listen and sit without being distracted.

 identify their own belongings

 look after their own possessions

 open a lunchbox

 open food packages

 toilet unassisted

 blow their own nose

 pack away after activities

 dress themselves

 ask for help

 turn a tap on and off, unscrew a bottle, open their yoghurt

 to dress and undress

 to walk up and down stairs using alternate feet, to walk, run, jump and climb with confidence.

 use language to communicate needs

 ask questions and listen to the answers

 converse with peers and adults

 process simple directions

 compare items using descriptive words

 talk about why things are the same or different

 talk about upcoming events and retell past events

 respond to simple questions about a story

 give simple descriptions of their play.

 interest in books

 problem solving

 demonstrate curiosity about their world

 complete simple puzzles and match objects

 visual discrimination,

 the ability to draw a person and name some body parts

 draw a picture of themselves

 hold a pencil

 cut out a simple shape with scissors

 recognise primary colours,

 number concepts such as more/less, empty/full, large/small, ordering numbers,

 familiarity with the alphabet and introduction to phonics

 recognise their name

 have an awareness of words/signs in their environment

 show an interest in learning to read and write