Today I am sharing an article from a fantastic Brisbane organisation, Learning Connections,on preparing your child for Prep. Website at www.learningconnections.com.au

Get Prep-ready: 5 simple things you can do at home

For your child to get the most from Prep, the first things they will need to be able to do is sit in a chair, listen and follow directions. Teachers report that unless a child has mastered these skills, they will find it difficult to learn. Children also need to have settled behaviour, the ability to socialise in groups with peers, mature language skills and the skills to engage with drawing and books.

These abilities are the precursors of the five domains of the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) which measures early childhood development: (1) physical health and wellbeing; (2) social competence; (3) emotional maturity; (4) language and cognitive skills; and (5) communication skills and general knowledge. It is estimated that almost one third of children entering Prep are developmentally vulnerable on at least one of these domains. Children who arrive at school developmentally vulnerable are more likely to have trouble catching up, and face literacy and numeracy challenges in their primary school years.

Even bright children can have developmental immaturities. While bright children are often able to develop a range of coping strategies, these strategies frequently stop working as they progress through school and encounter harder work - typically around Year Three.

Here are five easy things you can do to assist your child's development and establish a strong foundation of motor, sensory-motor and language skills to get them ready for the classroom.

1.   Swing, spin and roll

What you can do

Swinging, spinning, rolling, tumbling and zigzag running are all movements that stimulate and develop the vestibular system.

How it helps

These movements stimulate the vestibular system, the unifying system in our brain controlling our sense of movement and balance. The vestibular system helps our brain coordinate information from our sensory systems, in particular eyes and ears. A well-developed vestibular system assists concentration, language development and academic learning.

2.   Increase play

What you can do

Games, puzzles, drawing, painting, dress-ups, story-telling are some of the many activities considered 'play'. Value and encourage the time your child spends playing.

How it helps

Play assists a child's development by building a number of life skills. Depending on the activity, it can be a testing ground for language and reasoning skills, and as such a foundation for future challenges such as literacy, maths and science. Play develops a child's creativity, and can encourage a lifelong love of learning. Moreover, exposure to humour and playful attitudes assist social development. 

3.   Decrease technology

What you can do

Set and enforce limits on your child's 'screen-time'. 'Screen-time' is the total amount of time your child spends watching television or DVDs, or looking at/playing with devices such as computers, video games, iPads and smart phones. The Australian Government Department of Health's National Physical Activity Recommendations suggest limiting screen-time to one hour per day for primary school children, and no more than two hours per day for secondary school children. You may also choose to remove sources of screen-time from your child's bedroom.

How it helps

Despite the increasing availability of child- and learning-focused apps, looking at pictures on a screen does little to assist speech and social skill development. While some apps and computer programs do have real merit, it is important to understand that the time young children spend on technology is time not spent on and forever lost to the play activities that develop skills for successful learning. Limiting and paying attention to your child's screen-time has many benefits to their health, enhancing quality of sleep, reducing the risk of obesity, improving cooperative behaviour and performance at school.

4.   Eat real food

What you can do

Avoid foods with artificial additives. If your great-grandmother didn't eat it, it probably isn't real food! Packaged foods (e.g. poppers, sweet yoghurts, snack bars, instant noodles) are often sources of artificial additives. Consider alternatives - for example, a piece of fruit and drink of water instead of a popper.
While it's important to eat both fruit and vegetables, veggies have less sugar than fruit, and a broader range of nutrients. A veggie to fruit ratio of 5:2 is recommended.
Children can have treats, but these should be occasional.

How it helps

The types of food your child consumes affect their concentration, learning, behaviour and sleep.

5.   Take the emotion out of mealtimes

What you can do

Take the emotion out of mealtimes by planning a weekly menu and putting it on display so there are no surprises! Allowing a child to say 'no' increases their control over the menu, so be clear on the rules: parents, along with some input from the child, decide what the family eats. Remember that you may need to expose a child to a food thirty times or more before they attempt to try it!
Sit at the dinner table as a family and talk. You may like to talk about different tastes and textures as you share your meal, as a way to educate your child about nutrition.

How it helps

The dinner table is a great place to practice many of the basic skills needed for Prep and school - for example, sitting still in a chair, listening and taking turns with conversation.