Before your child starts school

Please ensure that your child is as independent as possible physically, emotionally and socially. If pupils can look after these areas they will feel secure and confident and settle in readily. Also, please encourage personal hygiene and cleanliness. Your child should know how to flush the toilet and wash hands, without having to be told.

All children should be able to:

Button and unbutton his/her coat and hang it up Use the toilet without help Use a tissue when necessary Share toys and playthings with others and take turns Tidy up and put away play things Remain contentedly for a few hours in the home of a relation, friend or neighbour – if the children have had this

experience, then separation from parents when they start school should not cause any great anxiety.

A child’s first day at school is a day to remember for the rest of his/her life. We have outlined some

tips below so you can help to make it a really happy one!

Tell your child about school beforehand and talk about it as a happy place where there will be a big

welcome and where they can make new friends.

Please do not use school or teacher as a threat as it can make children apprehensive.

Your child will like to have a new uniform or tracksuit and a new bag. This helps them to identify

more readily with the school and other children.

Your child’s books will be collected on the first day of school and the teacher will keep them until

such time as they are needed. Please let your child know that this will be happening.

Please label all of your child’s books, copies, pencils and stationary. Please ensure that all copies and

books are covered.

Your child will feel important if he/she has something in their school bag, so perhaps it may be a

good idea to place an extra colouring book or copy in his/her bag which can be used at home.

Ensure that you tell your child the plan for the first day at school; i.e you will walk him/her to the

classroom, help them get settled and then you will leave and will be back to collect you when it is

home time. This simple little details will help your child ease into this new transition in their life.

Below I have outlined the day for your convenience.

When children have been prepared and

know what is happening, they will be

happier.

When you arrive at the school, you will

accompany your child to the classroom.

You will meet the class teacher and other

children and offer your child to sit down

perhaps beside his/her friend.

Hopefully your child will be absorbed in

the new surroundings and begin to play

with the toys on the table!

Once your child is somewhat content,

make your way out of the room.

For collection, children in Junior Infants

will leave through the side exit door, in

shelter area.

Please ensure that you are punctual.

Children will become very anxious and

upset if they feel they have been forgotten

and this may have repercussions for the

days that follow.

If at any time the collection routine has to

be changed, please ensure that you tell

your child and please inform the class

teacher in writing.

We understand that emergencies can also

happen and thus a phone call to the

school will ease anxiety for the child.

The following day, children will line up

in their line in the yard. The Junior

Infant line, when facing the main door is

the line closest to the windows.

Children will be met by the teacher and

brought down to their classroom.

The children will finish early for the first

two weeks.

Again, as with the first day at school,

please be punctual both when dropping

off your child and when collecting your

child.

Please ensure that your child has an

adequate lunch with them each day.

In spite of the best efforts of both teacher and parents, a small number of children may still become upset. However, don’t panic.

Patience and perseverance work wonders!

Trust the teacher. He/She is experienced and resourceful and is used to coping with all sorts of coping problems.

Try not to show any signs of outward distress. Sometimes if parents are upset it may lead to the child becoming more anxious.

When you have reassured your child, leave as soon as possible. The teacher can distract and humour him/her more easily when you are

not around. If you are still concerned after leaving, check back discreetly with the office.

You must be firm from the start. Even if a child remains upset, you must insist that they stay. The child must never feel that he / she

is winning the psychological battle of wills!

Getting Ready For Learning

Children are natural learners. They have an inbuilt curiosity and an eager ness to know more about everything – about themselves, about others and about the world around them. They learn fast – but only when they are ready and their interest is aroused. Because they come to us so young we must guard against putting pressure on them to learn what they are not yet ready for. Demanding too much too soon can switch a child off completely. At the same time we must cultivate readiness so that they can get moving as soon as possible.

The rates of progress of children can vary greatly. We try to give each child an opportunity to move ahead at their own pace or as near to it as possible. Our first year in school therefore, is mainly about settling in, relating to others, making friends, feeling happy and gradually getting used to the routine of the school.

On the learning side the emphasis is on getting children ready for learning by-

Developing their oral language and expression. Developing their social skills. Sharpening their senses, especially seeing, hearing and touching. Developing physical co-ordination especially of hand and fingers. Extending their concentration span and getting them to listen attentively…. Learning through play – is the most enjoyable and effective way. Co-operating with the teacher and other children. Performing tasks by themselves.. Working with others and sharing with them. Getting each child to accept the general order, which is necessary for the class and school to work well

Early Steps In Understanding Maths

Maths for the small child has nothing to do with “sums” or figures or tables or adding or subtracting. These will all come much later. Children get to understand Maths best by handling and investigating and using real objects. Maths is

also the language children use in understanding and talking about certain things in his/her daily experience:

He/she associates certain numbers with particular things – two hands, four wheels, five fingers etc. Counting – one, two, three, four etc Colours – black, white, red, green etc. Spatial language: over/under, before/after, inside/outside etc. Matching/Sorting – objects of the same size/colour/texture/shape etc. Odd One Out – difference in size/colour/shape etc.

Understanding mathematical concepts comes very quickly for some children. For others it takes a long time. Be patient. You cannot force Maths understanding on a child.

You can help your child in a number of ways….

Counting up to 10 – identifying and naming the written numerals. Counting objects such as buttons on coats, cups, plates, knives and forks etc. Looking for numbers on cars, buses, houses etc Making up stories to go with addition Talk about money when shopping. Talk about time – what you do in the morning, afternoon, evening Practice writing numbers 1-5 Look for shapes in everyday objects and talk about them

In the course of your ordinary daily routine in the home, in the shop, in the neighbourhood you should use suitable opportunities to casually introduce the maths vocabulary;

How many cakes? The glass is full/empty. We turn left at the lights.

Developing Oral Language In The Early Years

It is important that your child’s vocabulary and his/her abi lity to talk is as advanced as possible. It is through speech that children communicate their thoughts and feelings, their needs and desires, curiosity and wonder. If your child cannot express these in words he/she will tend to remain silent and will often withdraw from the learning activity of the class. This can be the first sign of failure in the school system and must be remedied, if at all possible. This is why a lot of attention is given to language development in the first years of school.

You can help your child in a number of ways….

Try to make time to listen when your child wants to tell you something that is important to him/her. But don’t always make him/her the centre of attention. It is important for your child to develop listening skills and speaking skills.

Answer questions with patience and in an adequate way. Always nurture her/his sense of curiosity and wonder. Introduce your child gently to the ideas of Who? What? Why? How? When? Where? If? etc. These demand more

advanced language structures. Your child will have his/her own particular favourite stories that he/she never tires of hearing. Repeat them

over and over again and gradually get him/her to re-tell them to you.

Early Steps in Reading

The ability to read is the foundation for all future progress in our school system. However, learning to read is a gradual process and a lot of preparatory work must be done before a child is introduced to her/his first reader.

We deliberately do not rush or push children into reading. We get them ready for it over an extended period. Reading is something to be enjoyed. It should never start as a chore for the small child. Let you child see you reading and fill your child’s life with a print rich environment.

You can help your child in a number of ways…

Read to your child as often as you can and make it a fun activity Have attractive colourful books in your home Let your child see you reading eg. newspaper, books, magazines etc. Reading aloud to your child will cultivate an interest in, and love of reading Read a variety of stories, including fables and fairy tales* as often as you can. Your child will get to associate these

wonderful tales with books and reading Teach your child that books are precious things that must be handled carefully and put away safely- Show your

child how to turn pages carefully

Look and talk about what’s happening in the pictures Ask your child to tell you their favourite character or favourite part of the story and why? Teach and recite nursery rhymes* with your child– they are very important in the process of reading Above all, don’t push your child with early reading. You may turn him/her against it for evermore Remember that the class teacher is the best judge of what rate of progress is best suited to each child

Suggested Nursery Rhymes*

Little Bo Peep Humpty Dumpty Doctor Foster Hey Diddle Diddle Jack and Jill Rub a Dub Dub Incy Wincy Spider Little Miss Muffet Baa, Baa, Black Sheep One, Two, Buckle My Shoe Three Blind Mice Hickory, Dickory, Dock

Suggested Fables and Fairytales*

Cinderella Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

The Princess and the Pea The Three Little Pigs Jack and the Beanstalk Little Riding Hood The Three Billy Goats Gruff The Little Red Hen The Ugly Duckling Puss in Boots The Gingerbread Man Sleeping Beauty Rapunzel Thumbelina

Early Steps In Writing

Good writing is all about muscle and motor control and hand-eye co-ordination. Finger muscles are only gradually developing at this stage so it will help your child greatly if he/she is practised at

colouring, drawing, painting, making jigsaws, cutting with a scissors, manipulating materials such as play-doh, blocks, lego, sand, jigsaws etc.

Your child will be learning to write lower case letters initially so it would be very helpful if you could encourage this at home.

Making letters on paper is not easy for the small child. He/she must learn to hold the pencil properly at an early stage and make regular shapes.

Stick up your child’s name on his/her bedroom door so that he/she can be familiar with its appearance. If he/she can be practised in writing it this is even better!

Don’t discourage left-handedness. If that is your child’s definite natural inclination, don’t attempt to change it.

Getting Ready for Learning

Children are natural learners. They have an inbuilt curiosity and an eagerness to know more about everything – about themselves, about others and about the world around them. They learn fast – but only when they are ready and their interest is aroused.

Because they come to us so young we must guard against putting pressure on them to learn what they are not yet ready for. Demanding too much too soon can switch a child off completely. At the same time we must cultivate readiness so that they can get moving as soon as possible

The rates of progress of children can vary greatly. We try to give each child an opportunity to move ahead at their own pace or as near to it as possible. Our first year in school therefore, is mainly about settling in, relating to others, making friends, feeling happy and gradually getting used to the routine of the school.

On the learning side the emphasis is on getting children ready for learning by-

Developing their oral language and expression. Developing their social skills. Sharpening their senses, especially seeing, hearing and touching. Developing physical co-ordination especially of hand and fingers. Extending their concentration span and getting them to listen attentively…. Learning through play – is the most enjoyable and effective way. Co-operating with the teacher and other children. Performing tasks by themselves. Working with others and sharing with them. Getting each child to accept the general order, which is necessary for the class and school to work well.