An expert has shared one thing that parents do not need to do with their kids before starting primary school, and you may be surprised.
If your child is heading for primary school in September, then you may be wondering how best to prepare them. No matter what age your child is when they start school, parents will all have the same worry: Are they ready?
Because of this, many parents will panic and try to teach them what they think they need to know for primary school success. But this is where many make a very common mistake.
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Common mistake parents make when preparing kids for primary school
An expert revealed the mistake that parents often make when getting their kids ready for primary school, and it will probably take a lot of worry off your plate.
Many believe that their kids need to be able to read and write before they start this next chapter of their lives, but this is a common misconception.
Speaking to Netmums, parenting expert Kirsty Ketley explained that these are skills that your child simply doesn’t need to master ahead of time.
‘The reading and writing can wait, unless your child is showing an interest,’ she explained.
However, Kirsty advises that you should keep reading to your children, as this will help give them an interest in learning to read. You should also do activities with your child in which they need to use their fine motor skills, as this will give them the foundations to be able to learn to write when the time comes.
‘Do spend time reading books with your child and give them opportunities to practise fine and gross motor skills,’ she said.
‘Doing sensory play activities and arts and crafts will massively help them with tracking, where the eyes move across the page to read, and also holding a pencil and forming letters.’
What skills do kids need before starting primary school?
Irish behavioural specialist Deirdre Holland Hannon previously shared a very informative list of things that children DO need to be able to do before they start primary school.
Writing on Instagram, she said: ‘In junior infants, more independent skills are expected and these are my top five to check in on before the 1st of September.’
These include:
- Can they open and close their lunchbox and bottle?
- Can they put a page in an A4 folder?
- Can they put on and zip up their coats?
- Can they identify their school bag?
- Can they identify their name?
