Starting school can be an emotional time for children and their parents alike as it is another sign that they are growing up.

So, what is it that parents can do to support their child to become school read?

Ms Sue Davies, Head of Primary at Medowie Christian School, spoke to Medowie News Of The Area about how they will introduce the 20 Kindergarten students to their school.

Ms Davies started by saying, “Our Kindergarten teacher has already been preparing her classroom for weeks to get it looking colourful, exciting, warm, and friendly for the children.”

“We have a special Kinderland area for the children to play in with a sandpit, cubby house and equipment to help develop their gross motor skills.”

Supporting Kindergarten students with an older student is also important to the school, with Ms Davies saying,

“The children have all met their buddy during Orientation and they will be their contact support in the playground in the early weeks to help them settle in.”

Offering advice to parents on how they can support their children to feel positive about school, Ms Davies said, “Parents can help children to build confidence and optimism by encouraging a habit of positive thinking.”

“Asking children to tell you about the good things that happen each day helps develop this healthy habit.”

Many schools use the Best Start Assessment, a Department of Education initiative, to provide a diagnostic or ‘snapshot-in-time’ record of the skills in numeracy and literacy that children have when they enter Kindergarten.

The results of this assessment can aid teachers’ planning for the rest of the year.

Medowie Christian School uses an Early Screening Inventory instead, and in addition, as explained by Ms Davies, “an interview process where we get to spend time with the child and their parents to get to know them on a more personal level.”

More information about the Best Start Assessment is available for parents at: http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/languagesupport/documents/best_start/letter.php

By Heather SHARP