Oh boy! It’s time for your toddler to start school and more importantly the primary school. It’s a milestone moment for every parent and child, as your little one progresses towards learning academics and making a future for themselves.
Enrolling in a primary school is a difficult task as is, but it gets even more challenging when it comes to parting with your child at the school gate.
While your child is anxious about the new environment and leaving the comfort of home, it’s also a day when you see your child actually grow up for the first time.
If anything, the first day of Primary 1 isn’t easy for anyone, but it is necessary.
Children do tend to learn and enjoy school eventually, and that makes them like the learning process, make friends and build a life of their own.
While the learning curve will be easy for some children, a few others might find it a bit steep. The idea then is to ensure that you prepare your child in the best possible way to accommodate this seismic transition in their lives.
Schooling, after all, isn’t just about academics, it’s a completely new experience. Schools teach children social and emotional skills, as well as help them identify with real-world tasks and challenges.
So to make that process easier, we’ve compiled a list of 7 things you need to know when preparing for Primary 1 in Singapore.
1. Role-Play Scenarios
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Starting school can be scary for children. Think of it as your first day at the office as a junior. You barely know anyone or anything happening around you. But you do end up learning.
Well, that’s because schools prepared you for it. Similarly you can help children ease into schooling as well.
Try establishing routines to familiarise children with the schooling process. Create a timetable for the day segregating the day for learning, play, exercise, and sleep.
2. Teach Children To Be Independent
Use the opportunity before school begins to teach your children to be independent and obedient at the same time. Prepare them to sit and listen to stories or engage them in activities like colouring that requires them to be in one place.
You should also let them arrange their own clothes, pack their bags and return plates to the kitchen after a meal.
So when your children need to do the same activities in school, they already feel independent enough to carry out on their own. It will only help them build confidence at school.
3. Understand Academic Readiness
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Every child is at a different level when it comes to academic readiness. While some children are well-versed with the basics and ahead of the curve, some take a while to reach the same milestone.
The point is, do not compare the academic growth of two children. It only results in unnecessary anxiety for you and the child, and can also create self-confidence issues.
However, children should be able to express any personal needs and you can train them to be vocal about such things to their teachers. The pre-school will also train your child the basics of learning, like the alphabet and numbers from 1 to 10.
With the basics covered, teachers at Primary 1 schools Singapore will build the rest of the foundation including reading, speaking and helping understand math and science.
Read: Is Your Child Bad At Math? You Should Check Them For Dyscalculia
4. Fan Your Child’s Curiosity
Children are curious by nature and a major part of preparing for Primary 1 Singapore is all about fanning that curiosity. This is helpful academically and also building social skills.
For instance, teach them about addition and subtraction when they ask for toys or candy. Similarly, use real-life scenarios to help them learn about conflict resolution and resolving disagreements with other children.
Whenever children do something that’s new, make sure to encourage them for the same.
It also helps if children learn to reflect on their tasks and actions. It will only help them navigate through complicated situations independently and take the right decisions.
5. Speak To The Form Teacher In Case Of Special Education Needs
Parents with children who may require special education needs and transition support should prepare for it beforehand.
It’ll be in the best interest of your child to speak to the school’s form teacher before the year begins and discuss the requirements of your child.
This can include making the school authorities aware of any special stationery your child needs, extra time during exams, or even special attention during the classes. Some children with special needs may just require to sit in the front rows.
You can also talk to the authorities on how to best ease your child into school, especially if they have anxiety issues. It will also help teachers if you can share coping strategies and or assistive technologies.
If need be, you can connect their preschool teachers with Primary 1 teachers to help them understand how to help your child.
6. Help Children Organise Their Belongings
One way you can have your child’s back is by taking care of their belongings. Children are forgetful and can take a while to organise their things at school.
To ensure that they do it well, you can label all the belongings with your child’s name and also instruct them to be mindful of their things at school.
Despite all that caution, do expect them to lose a thing or two every now and then, and use this as an opportunity to teach them about taking care of their books, stationery, water bottle and more.
If nothing else, you are definitely doing to save a lot on buying new things in the first year.
7. Learn When To Step In As A Parent
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As much as you can try and be there for your child throughout their lives, parents need to understand that kids also need to start dealing with situations on their own.
Preparing for Primary 1 in Singapore is a lot like that. More so, once you consider that it’s a different universe of its own on the other side of the gate.
So, as a parent, you will need to be mindful of when to step in and support your child, and when to let them make their own decisions. You can’t shelter them from challenges that life will throw at them.
But you can prepare them to learn when life gives your child a teachable moment. It will help them build skills like problem-solving, conflict resolution, and also independence. And this can do wonders for their self-growth and confidence.
Primary 1 is an exciting time for kids and you surely will be making some fond memories on their first day. So make sure to document it and enjoy their first step towards a new and exciting journey.
