Prepare your new school starter for education during a turbulent 2020 Children starting Reception in September will have missed out on transitional activities but help is at hand
Starting school can be both exciting and daunting for children and their parents, but with Covid-19 restrictions effecting the usual settling in activities, there is advice and reassurance available for parents hoping to put their little one at ease and help with the transition.
Home visits from their teachers, trips to the school and settling-in sessions with a chance to meet their new classmates have most likely been cancelled this year due to social distancing, so parents of four-year-olds due to start school in September may be concerned their child will struggle with the transition.
Zuzu Jordan, a parent herself and a primary school teacher in Sussex for 16 years, has some helpful advice for parents looking to help their children make the move to their new Reception class smoothly.
During lockdown, Zuzu created a Facebook page for home schooling parents and it includes a wealth of advice for teaching children during the pandemic and looking after your child’s mental health.
Zuzu said: “For the little ones who have never been to school it is all about transition and there is bound to be some anxiety there.
“I think parents could maybe put together a transition book - take a picture of your child’s new school or download one from the website, you will probably be able to find a photo of their teacher, the head teacher and lunchtime assistants on the website too and put it all together in a little book. This will really help to familiarise your child with those faces they will meet when they start school and hopefully put them at ease.
“Talk and show them their uniform and just try to make it all familiar.”
Zuzu says there are many books to help with anxiety and recommends Too many pants by Ruth Drury, who has contributed to Zuzu’s Facebook advice page during lockdown.
Zuzu has another tip for parents to help children deal with the worries they may have.
She said: “Children need to talk about their worries otherwise they just carry them around but often, especially for very little children, a touch and feel approach can work best.
“You can buy, or make your own, worry bag. It is a bag that the children put their worries in and then the worry monster can gobble them up or the parent can carry the worries around instead of the child.
“Also, try to encourage your child to take something in with them to show their teacher as a talking point. It could be any little thing they have done. Any arts, crafts or stories you may have read to them.”
Children need to talk about their worries otherwise they carry them around
ZUZU JORDAN Teacher