Starting primary school is a major milestone for little people and their families. It’s a time filled with excitement – from choosing a lunch box and pencil case to walking through the school gates for the first time. Starting primary school can also come with jitters, like navigating the playground, meeting teachers or adjusting to a full day of structured learning. As your child embarks on their education journey, it’s helpful to be prepared for what’s ahead: the key learning areas they’ll tackle, tips for supporting their social and emotional wellbeing and essential school supplies to assist their growth and development.
SEE ALSO: How to Make the First Day of School Feel Special
What Students Will Learn: Reading and Counting
In the first years of primary school, children build foundational skills across key learning areas – think literacy, numeracy, fine and gross motor skills, creativity and problem-solving. While some children come to school knowing their letters and numbers, it’s not essential, says primary and special education teacher Dr Samantha Hornery, who is also the executive manager of learning and education at Learning Links. “Your child’s teacher will be teaching them to recognise the phonemes – or sounds – for reading, and how to count. That is what the first year of school is all about,” she says.
How Families Can Support Them: Teach Self-Care Skills
Samantha says that before school starts, parents and caregivers can help children practise self-care skills such as being able to open their lunch box solo, do up their shoelaces, go to the bathroom on their own and feel confident asking questions in class. “These skills aren’t part of learning, but if children can’t sit still or can’t put their hand up to say they need to go to the bathroom – these things can really get in the way of learning,” she says.
What Students Will Need: Essential School Supplies
When it comes to school supplies, starting primary school is all about the necessities – a school bag, a lunch box, a water bottle and a new pencil case filled with a fresh set of coloured pencils, writing pencils, an eraser and a glue stick. Having everything on the school supplies list purchased, labelled with their name and ready to go on day one means your child can focus on learning rather than worrying about asking for or borrowing equipment.
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What to Try
- Studymate Twin Zip Pencil Case Medium Hearts Pink
- Studymate Gamer Moulded Pencil Case
- Studymate Twin Zip Pencil Case Medium Flower Black
- Otto Unicorn Pens 4 Pack
- Marvel Spider-Man Backpack © 2024 MARVEL
- Studymate Single Zip Pencil Case Medium Free Graffiti
- Studymate Twin Zip Pencil Case Medium Camo Blue
- Studymate Wrap Pencil Case Flower
- Marvel Spider-Man Pencil Case © 2024 MARVEL
- Studymate Gamer Novelty Pen
- Studymate Mermicorn Pom Pom Pen
- Fiskars Softgrip Left Hand Pointed Scissors 5"/12cm Assorted
- Studymate Recycled Pencil Grips 4 Pack
- Studymate Eraser Pen Black
SEE ALSO: 6 Clever Ways to Make Kids’ Name Labels for School
How Families Can Support Them: Clean Out and Top Up School Supplies
As the weeks and months go by, try to clean out their school bag and pencil case regularly. Have they still got all of their coloured pencils? Do they need sharpening? Does their pencil case need a refresh? Is there still glue in their glue stick?
Keeping them well equipped with supplies is the first step in a process that will eventually lead to children managing their own belongings. “Children are not born little organisers – we have to teach them how to do it,” says Samantha. “As they get older and stationery becomes more important to them, they will have that routine already established and they’ll be very quick to tell you that they’ve run out of their favourite pen!”
How Students Might Feel: Big Emotions and Anxiety
Little people can experience big feelings when they start primary school. Your child might feel excited about making friends and trying new activities. They may also feel nervous, says Rachel Tomlinson, a registered psychologist specialising in child development from Toward Wellbeing. “It’s very common for children to experience a certain level of anxiety or fear when starting school. They haven't done this before – it’s all brand new. They’re in a new environment with different rules.”
Children may also feel more tired than usual as they adjust to longer days and a more structured style of learning. “It’s really exhausting for them,” Rachel says.
SEE ALSO: 10 Healthy Kids’ Lunch Box Tips
How Families Can Support Them: Encourage Open Conversations
How can parents help? Rachel suggests regular, open conversations with your child – about what they’re doing at school, what they like and what they find difficult. “Talk to them about any worries they may have,” she says. Additionally, it can be helpful to acknowledge their feelings to help them understand that, most of the time, uncomfortable feelings are normal.
“We don’t want to accidentally shut our kids down, so instead of saying something like ‘Don’t worry, it’s not that bad’ or ‘You’ll be fine’, which can inadvertently be invalidating [their feelings], you might say, ‘It seems like you’re really worried about that – can you tell me a bit more?’ or ‘It’s normal to feel nervous or worried about those kinds of things’.”
A regular before and after school routine that includes plenty of time for chilling out can also give children a sense of stability and help to ease any worries. “Kids want to feel safe, and they thrive on consistency,” says Rachel. “Play is children’s first language – it helps them express things that they’ve learned and experienced in the day.”
