Many of you will be thinking about the transition into school. What can you as parents do to prepare your child for this transition?
You're coming up to a really special time when your child is starting school and there are a few things we can advise to help you prepare your child for school. This is a very big transition time for your child, but at the same time it has to be the most natural transition. With a little preparation and encouragement, you can begin to instil the skills they need to succeed in the classroom and start school with a confident smile.
Here at BIC, our staff have a wealth of experience in supporting children during this time of transition in their learning journey and are experts at helping your child quickly develop happy and productive friendships with peers and a warm and supportive relationship with their teachers, settled and ready to thrive in their learning.
Regardless of whether you are joining Baleares International College or choosing a different school, what can you as parents do to help your child for this exciting transition? Here are some useful tips from our Early Years specialist teachers.
Visit the building! Before school starts, show them the building, make it a big adventure and something they can look forward to.
Chat to them about starting school and have regular conversations with them. Point out things you see and talk about the importance of sharing and practise this too.
Read, read, read! Read lots of stories together and stories about starting school. You might also like to read books about emotions and discuss what is happening to the characters. This can help to ease any anxieties your child might have about going to school, it gets them excited, and will help them to be able to articulate their emotions better when they face a challenge.
Direct their activities but let them decide how they want to spend their time, allowing them to make their own choices rather than deciding everything for them. Discuss why they have made those choices.
Introduce new activities such as using the toilet on their own, washing their hands, getting dressed on their own, putting their shoes on and shoes off; these are tricky activities when you are three years old and will give your child a sense of independence and pride.
Tidying up after themselves - Support your child in getting into the habit of being tidy - hanging up their coat after a walk or putting away their toys before bedtime.
Be social - Playing with other children on the playground by your house, or with family and friends is all good practice for developing friendships. We encourage you to join family events and outings to help integrate your child and also to allow you to talk about your emotions with other parents who are in a similar situation as you.
Make this the most natural process for them and explain it all with a big smile, making sure that they see this is a positive step in their lives.
Remember, you know your child best. It is important for you to develop a good relationship with your child’s class teacher so that if you have any questions or concerns, or anything you think might help your child to feel settled, you can reach out to them with confidence and reassure you.
What’s next?
We would like to support families who are either considering or have already chosen Baleares International College for this next phase in their child’s learning journey in September 2021.
Ms Elizabeth Compton, Head of Primary at BIC, Sa Porrassa and Mrs Janice Short, Principal at BIC, Sant Agustí will be virtually opening the doors of our Primary Schools on Thursday 20th May at 5.30pm and we would love to welcome you. You will have the opportunity to ask any questions you might have, learn more about what’s unique about BIC’s Early Years and primary education and how your child can benefit the most from the best of British education offered by Baleares International College.
