Starting school is a milestone in any child’s life, and their first day is one they will never forget. It can be an emotional time, but there are lots of things parents can do to prepare their child so their child’s transition into school is easier.
Many put time into making sure their child knows their ABCs and 1-2-3s, but they’re not the most important things, advises new entrant teacher Daisy McGregor from Target Road School in Auckland.
“ABCs and 1-2-3s, they are important… but I consider these things they’ll learn at school,” she says.
What’s more valuable, she says, is that children have learned skills to manage themselves (get themselves to the toilet, open their lunchbox) and get along with others.
In this video, McGregor gives advice about what your child really needs to know for their first day at school, how you can prepare them so their first day isn’t frightening or overwhelming, how to help them adjust in their first few weeks and what you can do to help them enjoy school.
