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Starting
School |
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Starting school is a big change in children's lives, even if
they have enjoyed attending a nursery or play-group. Suddenly
they have to cope with an environment full of other children,
and new situations such as a busy playground at break time and
eating their mid-day meal in the hall. Problems have to be
shared with a teacher rather than a parent, and often the
teacher is busy so the child has to wait! Each day may seem long
and full of surprises; reception infants often get tired, and
need plenty of sleep at night.
Together we must do all we can to make each child's first days
at school smooth, secure and happy - laying the foundations for
future success. |
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| Parents have many opportunities at
home to prepare their children for school and make sure they get
off to a good start. You may like to try some of the ideas below |
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Reading and
writing |
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It is not necessary for your child to have started to read or
write before s/he starts school. However, some early helpful
groundwork can be done at home in preparation! If children learn
to love books and the stories or information that each one
holds, they are likely to want to learn to read, and this, of
course, is the key. |
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If
your child clearly shows an early interest in reading or
writing, these tips may help the formation of good elementary
skills: |
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Recognition of whole words is
very useful. |
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- Letter sounds should be stressed rather than letter names at
this early stage. |
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- Holding a pencil correctly is very important as a habit of
incorrect grip is extremely hard to break |
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- Lower case letters should be used in preference to capitals,
except at the start of names. A sheet showing our handwriting
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style and letter formation is available to parents. |
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Independence |
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At
school, each teacher has a large number of children in the
class, so even the youngest need to be able to do a few basic
things on their own, or with just a little help. We would be
very grateful if, before starting school, you could please help
your child to manage these activities independently: |
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Using the toilet properly,
including using paper, flushing the toilet, and washing hands
afterwards. |
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Taking a coat on and off, and
fastening buttons or zips, |
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Being able to change clothes for
PE, |
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Fastening shoes with laces (or Velcro if laces are too
difficult), |
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Using a knife and fork, |
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Recognising her/his name on clothing and labels, |
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Being able to say clearly her/his name, address and telephone
number. |
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