Back-to-school season can be a stressful time for any parent, but especially if your child is entering school for the very first time. Although there aren’t strict requirements on what children must know before beginning public school, there are many helpful things you can teach them to get them off on the right foot.
It’s important to remember that each child develops at a different rate, and that each one is beautiful and unique. But as a general guide, here are a few things to teach your children before their first year in school.
Self Care
The very first things to teach your child relate to basic needs, including potty training, self-feeding, and personal hygiene. Teachers can do their jobs better if their students can take care of these types of things themselves. It’s important to remember that the role of a teacher is different than that of a nanny or mother’s helper.
Personal Development
It’s a beautiful thing to watch your children grow and develop their skills and personalities from one year to the next. Since personal development doesn’t always come naturally, you can help guide your child through each stage of life to find happiness and success.
Personal development involves learning self-control and how to follow rules, adhere to a schedule, and handle transitions from one activity to the next. These are important life skills that aren’t just important during childhood, but throughout our adult lives as well.
Social Development
One of the most important and challenging, social skills that children must learn before entering school is sharing. Some children are naturally better at this than others, especially if they have siblings. Whether you’re the parent of an only child or have a family of 10, it’s important to teach your children how to share and interact appropriately with kids and adults,
Other social development skills to teach your kids include how to play well with others, take turns, and share responsibilities. Conflict resolution is also a key skill to teach them before entering school so that they understand how to use their words to resolve conflicts. It’s important that kids learn that violence and tantrums are not effective means of communication and when it’s a good idea to get an adult’s help to resolve conflicts.
Literacy Skills
Many young children begin their journey towards literacy by learning their letters, starting from A to Z. Then many children progress to learning how to spell and read names of family members, friends, pets, and places.
Read aloud to your child on a regular basis, and encourage your child to read aloud as well to practice pronunciation and gain confidence
Math and Reasoning Skills
Young children should begin learning the basics early so that mathematical concepts make sense when they enter school. You can start teaching math with easy counting exercises and encouraging your child to sort patterns by size, shape, and color.
Math isn’t just a subject that kids should learn to pass tests and make good grades. The larger implications of learning math at an early age are enhanced reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical skills. All of these are useful tools with lifelong benefits.
Creativity and the Arts
Arts and crafts aren’t just fun for kids, they stimulate creativity and help them develop a lifelong appreciation for culture.
Just flip on the stereo for an impromptu music lesson, and dance around the house to ease stress and get your bodies moving. Role playing and make-believe games can also inspire kids to be creative and never stop imagining.
How Nanny Authority Can Help
Many studies have proven the lifelong benefits of quality early childhood education; these initial learning processes often begin at home. To supplement the lessons that you’ve been teaching your child, please contact Nanny Authority.
At Nanny Authority, we require all of our nannies to be educated, have extensive childcare experience, and possess a nurturing attitude towards children. You can browse our nannies online to choose candidates that best suit the educational needs of your child. Our nannies are highly qualified to help prepare your child for the school year ahead and alleviate some of your back-to-school stresses!