How to prepare your child for Grade 1

“School readiness is about the intellectual, social and emotional maturity levels of your child, which are influenced by many factors; the ability to concentrate, the motivation to learn, health and nutrition are determining features, as is the environment in which your child grows up, giving advantages or disadvantages when it comes to school. Most children have developed these skills by the time they finish preschool and are ready to start Grade 1”. (www.schoolguide.co.za).

ALSO READ: Is your child ready for school?

The www.parentingcenter.co.za site gives the following helpful tips to help you determine if your child is school-ready:

Language development:

– The child should know some nursery rhymes

– Can use expressive and receptive language

– Can follow instructions

– Able to produce the different sounds of a language, in other words have command of a language

– Can put sentences together to make herself understood – Able to take turns in a conversation.

– Pre-reading skills: – Can name basic colours – Know the letters of the alphabet

– Know the names and sounds of letters – Be able to recognise their written name

– Have print awareness (knows how to hold a book and that we read from left to right)

– Have an interest in books and reading.

ALSO READ: How to apply for Grade 1 to 8 online

Cognitive skills:

– Understand the concept of size

– bigger and smaller

– Know opposites

– Can build jigsaw puzzles

– Can master sequencing cards

– Can pay attention and plan the execution of an activity

– Know different shapes

– Can copy patterns

– Know position in space

– above, below, in front, behind, and more

– Can persist in challenging task

– Able to categorise objects

– Have a degree of intellectual curiosity.

Numeracy:

– Can count up to at least 10

– Understand the concepts of counting, sorting and grouping

– Know the different times of day

– morning, afternoon and night

Social skills:

– Knows how to ask for something

– Can share

– Can take turns

– Able to listen quietly

– Can relate appropriately to adults and peers.

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Physical skills:

– Can use the bathroom on their own

– Can blow their nose

– Can wash hands

– Able to catch and throw a ball

– Can balance on one foot for a certain time

– Able to walk up and down stairs

– Able to use scissors, pencils and crayons

– Able to stack blocks

– Can hop

-Can use a knife and fork to eat

– Able to cross her midline.

Emotional skills:

– Can ask for help

– Realise they cannot always get their own way

– Able to manage anger and frustration

– Can work independently

– Can cope with criticism and failure

– Able to separate from a caregiver

– Able to effectively express feelings and needs

– Hold their own in a group activity

– Able to postpone the need for immediate gratification. “

A child’s first year in school is extremely important, because it is the first building block for the following 11 years. It is important that it should be a positive experience, where the child is adequately equipped to manage in the classroom, with many success experiences. When they are able to do something, it becomes enjoyable to do it.”

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