Parent Guide -How To Be School Ready With Play
Why is Play Important to Children?
Play is natural to children. It is a way for children to stay active, happy and entertain themselves.
It may not seem obvious, but play is how children learn. “Children learn as they play. More importantly, in play, children learn how to learn.” – O. Fred Donaldson
Play is essential for a child’s healthy mental and physical development.
However, the value of play in learning is often undermined, especially for children who are getting ready for school.
In this article, we will explore why play is so important for children and how play builds a strong foundation for learning and getting preschool/ kindergarten children ready for school.
So Mommas of 4-year-olds, Are You Ready!!
What Does ‘School Readiness’ or ‘Ready for School Mean’?
Contrary to some beliefs, school readiness does not only mean how well a child can recite and write numbers and letters or shapes.
Being ready for school means the ‘whole child’ being ready for school.
This includes many factors like, the child being:
Emotionally ready- can separate from parents without the emotional overwhelm.
Socially ready- has basic skills for cooperating and interacting positively with others.
Self-dependent- can feed themselves, go to the toilet and take care of personal hygiene, dress, put on shoes and socks, look after belongings.
Able to Clearly Communicate- able to speak clearly, understand and follow simple instructions or directions, actively listen and respond appropriately in play and learning situations, ask questions and answer questions with relevance.
Physically ready- has age-appropriate balance and coordination and fine manipulative movement e.g. hand movement for writing or scissor cutting.
Ready to learn- has curiosity and enthusiasm for learning.
And yes, it is great if children can recognise and write some numbers and letters. It will give them a head start, but it is not the only skill, children need for school readiness.
How to Develop and Nurture Skills for School Readiness with Play.
Let’s look at the tables below to explore how parents can nurture and develop skills for school readiness through play and everyday situations.
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Conclusion
Getting children Ready for School is all about building strong foundations for learning.
It is about instilling a passion for learning.
Teach your child to be curious, to ask questions and to be brave enough to explore, investigate and figure things out.
Teach them empathy, how to get along, and be responsible. Teach your child how to be self-reliant.
And the best way to teach children all these skills is through quality interactions in everyday situations and play. When children believe that they can, then they will.
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