With only five months before the new academic year, when children will be officially starting school in our Reception Class, here is the first of our Little Lyons Launchpad ‘Countdown to Reception’ series.
Each month we will be providing helpful monthly tips for families to support and encourage their daughters to be ready for September.
There is one practical tip, one that helps children to be ready for the rigour of school and one for you as a family too!
Family tip: Pace your transition!
Although it’s important to support children with the transition from nursery to school, it’s also important not to overdo it or to leave it all too late. Too much focus on the subject of starting school just before September may be counter-productive and result in children becoming either over-anxious or over-excited. Instead, plan your activities carefully and spread them out over the next few months – this is why we are beginning our ‘Countdown to Reception’ now! Use positive language when talking about preparing for school, but don’t go over the top. Remember that the aim is not only to allay fears but also to build realistic expectations.
Let’s be practical tip: Putting on hats, coats and gloves
Teach your child to put on their coat, hats and gloves independently. There is a very handy coat trick called ‘The Magic Coat Flip’. You can watch a video of this great tip here: https://youtu.be/e2D4brsadlg
Have your daughter put the coat down on the floor (or a table). They need to stand near the tag/hood, put their arms through the arm holes, and flip the coat over their head. This is a really good starting point, to encourage them to put on their own jacket, before encouraging them to be able to fully dress themselves before they begin Reception in September.
Development & emotional support tip: Use books to prompt discussion about starting school.
Books are great way of introducing the topic of starting school and in so doing help to prepare children emotionally for this change. There are plenty of picture books about starting school. Read different books with your daughter over the coming months and use them to prompt a discussion. You could ask her questions such as; how did the characters feel about starting school? Was there anything they were worried about? How did they feel at the end?
- Harry and the Dinosaurs Go to School by Ian Whybrow
- Charlie and Lola: I Am Too Absolutely Small For School by Lauren Child
Each month, we will give you another book idea to help you to build up your collection so you can discuss starting school with your daughter.
We hope you find our Little Lyons Launchpad ‘Countdown to Reception’ tips useful –
if you would like any further information about joining our Lyonsdown School’s Reception class, please don’t hesitate to contact us. All of our girls moving up from our Little Lyons Pre-Reception and those joining from outside will begin their own induction as we safely move out of COVID restrictions and are able to offer in-school induction sessions.
If you aren’t already in our Little Lyons Pre-Reception, or registered to join our Reception class in September, do let us know if you would like to receive our Little Lyons Launchpad ‘Countdown to Reception’ direct to your inbox by emailing: admissions@lyonsdownschool.co.uk
We are known and loved for being a family school, and we hope that our new ‘Countdown to Reception’ hints and tips will support families over the coming months to ensure that starting Reception class in September is a wonderfully smooth transition in what has been an incredibly tumultuous year.
