Before starting school, children need to have a series of Basic abilities that will allow them to adapt to the school environment, learn more easily, and relate healthily with their peers and adults. It's not about them being able to read and write perfectly, but about them having a good foundation in the area of āāliteracy. personal, social, emotional, cognitive and motor.
In their first three years of life, and regardless of whether they go to daycare or stay at home, it is essential that Families accompany this development Day by day. Through play, conversation and routines, children gradually incorporate skills that will be key when they make the leap to preschool or primary education.
If your child is starting school next year and you're wondering how best to prepare them to begin this stage with security, motivation, and confidence, you'll find the answers below. the basic skills that children should acquire before starting school and how you can support them from home without pressure and always respecting their developmental pace.
Personal, social and emotional development
The personal, social, and emotional area is the foundation upon which all other learning is built. A child who feels safe, loved, and capable They will find it easier to explore, interact, and learn. In this dimension, children learn skills related to independence, emotional regulation and coexistence.
By the time the first day of school arrives at nursery or the start of primary school, it is recommended that the child gradually demonstrate capabilities on the table:
- Think critically and solve small everyday problems according to their age (for example, deciding how to fix a tower of blocks that has fallen down or choosing another strategy when something doesn't go as expected).
- Dressing and undressing in an increasingly independent wayalthough she may still require occasional help if she is under 4 years old or with more complex garments.
- To differentiate what is right from what is wrong in simple everyday situations, beginning to understand basic rules of coexistence.
- Expressing their needs, likes, and dislikes using language, instead of resorting only to crying or tantrums.
- Separating from their attachment figures for a while without excessive distress, although they may show some sadness or nervousness at first.
- Sharing space, materials, and shifts with other children, accepting that he will not always be first or that he may have to wait.
It is also helpful for the child to begin understanding simple routines (waking up, breakfast, personal hygiene, school, playtime, dinner, bedtime) and to participate, as much as they are able, in small habits of self-care and tidiness. This reinforces their sense of responsibility and prepares him for the dynamics of school.
How can you help your child in the socio-emotional area?
As a mother or father, your role is fundamental in helping your child acquire these skills. It's not about demanding or comparing, but about offer internship opportunities in a safe environment. Some key ideas:
First of all, try ask for their opinion and ask them open-ended questions.You can ask them about their favorite toys, what makes them feel sad or happy, what they enjoyed most about their day, or who they played with. In this way, they will use language to express themselves. desires, emotions and motivationsand he will begin to feel heard and valued.
When you buy clothes, it's recommended that they have simple closures (elastics, Velcro, simple zippers, few buttons), so that he can practice dressing and undressing himself. The simpler the clothing, the more opportunities he will have to experience independence without becoming overly frustrated.
Take advantage of the stories, the children's series or everyday situations for talking about what is right and what is wrongDiscuss with him why one character shares, why another gets angry, and what he could have done differently. In this way, the child learns to reflect on the consequences of his actions and develop... empathy as well as.
Another important skill is learning to follow simple instructionsYou can suggest games where they have to perform two steps in a row, such as: āGo to your room and bring the red bookā or āPut away the blocks and then wash your hands.ā This will help them train their coordination. attention, working memory and self-control.
In the emotional realm, it's very helpful to name what they're feeling: "I see you're angry because your toy broke," "You seem sad because you miss Grandma." This way, you encourage their emotional development. emotional intelligence And you teach him that all emotions are valid, even if not all behaviors are.
Communication, language, and pre-reading skills
Language development is one of the cornerstones of school learning. Through words, children They understand the world, ask questions, relate to others, and access the reading and writingBefore starting school, it is desirable that your child consolidates some communication and pre-reading skills appropriate to their age.
At this stage, it is usually recommendable that the child begins to:
- Speak clearly enough so that people outside the family can understand what he says, even if some letters or sounds are still difficult for him.
- Enjoy stories, songs and talespaying attention for at least a few minutes at a time.
- Listen to and repeat sounds or rhymesThis lays the foundation for the phonological awareness that will be needed later for reading.
- To hold a pencil, crayons, or paints and make strokes, scribbles and drawings, even though he/she does not yet write letters in a conventional way.
- Recognize your written name and some familiar letters, even if you can't read them all yet.
Furthermore, he is gradually developing skills in phonological awarenessNote that some words rhyme, that a sentence is made up of several words, or that a word can be divided into syllables. All of this greatly facilitates the later learning of reading and writing.
How can you help your child communicate better?
At home, you can do a lot to foster language and pre-reading skills without worksheets or formal exercises. One very effective strategy is sing together Children's songs with rhymes, clapping games, chants, and different rhythms. This type of activity improves auditory processing The child learns to listen attentively, to repeat sequences, to keep the rhythm and to discriminate sounds.
It is also very beneficial that he read stories and tell him stories Every day, even if you think he's still little. You can ask him open-ended questions about what he sees in the illustrations: the colors, the shapes, the characters, where they are, what he thinks will happen next. In this way, you enhance his Listening comprehension, vocabulary, and expression skills.
As it grows, you can introduce small games of phonological awareness adapted to their level, such as:
- Search for words that rimen with their name or with the names of everyday objects.
- Clap once for each syllable of a simple word (āpe-lo-taā, āca-saā).
- Play āwhich word is longer?ā by paying attention to the number of syllables.
- Identify if two words begin with the same letter initial sound.
Before formal literacy instruction, it is also important to work on... visual and motor levelYou can offer them large cardboard letters or magnets to manipulate, sandpaper letters, or materials that allow them to associate sound with strokes. Activities such as tracing lines, copying simple shapes, color within a contour or completing puzzles promotes eye-hand coordination necessary for writing.
If you notice that your child has a lot of trouble making themselves understood, isn't progressing in their pronunciation, or doesn't seem to understand what is being said to them, it may be advisable to consult with your pediatrician or a speech therapist. speech therapistDetecting potential language difficulties early helps prevent later learning problems.
Development of logic and the mathematical world
Your child doesn't have to be a math genius when they start school, but it is advisable that they start developing a basic understanding of numbers and quantitiesThese initial mathematical concepts will allow you to make much better use of the explanations you will receive later.
Among the skills that can go acquiring are:
- Count out loud a series of numbers (for example, from 1 to 5, to 10 or more, depending on their age and experience).
- Relate a number to a quantity small number of objects: understand that the number ā3ā corresponds to three cars, three pieces or three fingers.
- Understanding simple comparisons like āmore thanā and āless thanā, or āmanyā and āfewā.
- Identify basic shapes such as circle, square and triangle, both in drawings and in everyday objects.
- Begin to familiarize yourself with the idea of add and remove things from a set (add and subtract informally).
Numbers, the value of numbers, and the understanding that, for example, 5 is greater than 3, are very useful for introducing mathematical logic. Introducing... spatial and measurement concepts: heavy and light, tall and short, long and short, near and far.
You can support this development very naturally in everyday life. Count the steps when you go upstairs, the fruit you put in the fruit bowl, or the cars you see go by. Invite them to compare who has more pieces in a construction game or what container is fullerSorting objects by color, size, or shape also reinforces their classification and sequencing ability, key in mathematical logic.
Knowledge and understanding of the world around you
Children have an innate curiosity about the world around them. From a very young age, they wonder why it rains, where the light comes from, how plants grow, or what animals do. This curiosity is the driving force of learning, and it's important to nurture and preserve it. nourish it day by day.
In this area, the key is not that they memorize data, but that they retain the interest in investigating, observing, and asking questionsThis will allow them to better understand the natural and social sciences and the cultural environment later on.
How can you help your child learn about their surroundings?
At home and in everyday life, you can offer them many simple experiences to broaden their understanding of the world. One interesting idea is to encourage them to do collages with magazine images (people, animals, landscapes, objects) or with different textures and materials. While you create the collage, you can talk about what you see: where each animal lives, what the weather is like in a photo, what the people are doing.
You can also enter very basic notions of timeFor example: āWeāre going to see Grandma tomorrow. Do you remember when we went to the park yesterday? It will be the same amount of time as yesterday until today, a whole day.ā Or explain the structure of the week: āThere are 5 school days and 2 days off, Saturday and Sunday. In total, there are 7 days in a week.ā These examples help them better understand routines and calendars.
Outings to the park, the countryside, or the city are an excellent opportunity to expand vocabulary and knowledgeYou can observe the trees, the changing seasons, the animals you find, the types of vehicles or buildings. Visiting museums adapted for children, libraries, or cultural centers enriches their experience. social and cognitive experience.
At home, watching a short documentary for children together and discussing it afterward is another fun way to spark their curiosity. Ask them what they understood, what surprised them, and what they'd like to learn more about. This helps them become an active learner. protagonist of his own learning.
Physical development: gross and fine motor skills
The body is the primary learning tool in early childhood. A child who moves freely, jumps, runs, climbs, and manipulates objects is developing simultaneously. his brain, his coordination, and his confidenceThat's why gross motor skills (large movements) and fine motor skills (precise movements of hands and fingers) are fundamental before starting school.
As for the gross MotricityIf your child doesn't have any specific difficulties, they should be able to:
- Travel safely walking and running, dodging basic obstacles.
- Skip with both feet together and, later on, on one leg.
- Up and down stairs with support, alternating feet according to age.
- Throw, kick and bounce a ball, even if at first he fails many times to catch it.
- Ride on tricycle or ride-on toy, and later on a bicycle with training wheels.
To foster these skills, it is highly recommended going out to the park, the countryside or wide open spaces where I can run, climb, go up hills, go down ramps, practice children's sports or play with balls. Contact with nature, in addition to being beneficial for their physical health, has a very positive impact on their emotional well.
In relation to the fine motorActivities that involve precision in the hands and fingers are very useful, such as:
- Play with clay (knead, make balls, churros, shapes).
- Build with blocks or Legos of different sizes.
- Doing simple puzzlesgradually increasing the number of pieces.
- Use paints, crayons, markers and paintbrushes, learning to hold them with the digital clamp.
- Practice to buttoning, unbuttoning, zipping and unzipping with easy clothes.
- Gradually introduce the use of safety scissorsalways under supervision, for cutting paper.
Learning everyday tasks like buttoning buttons, zipping a coat, or putting on sweatpants is also part of this development. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it should be have opportunities to try before the time comes to need it in the classroom.
To work the lateralization and identification Using body parts (right, left, up, down), you can play movement games outdoors or at home: āTouch your left knee with your right hand,ā āJump forward,ā āTurn to the right.ā These instructions reinforce both coordination and Spatial Orientation, very useful afterwards for writing and reading.
Development of creativity and imagination
Creativity is not just an artistic skill, it's a way of life. think flexibly, seek solutions, and express your own identityIn their early years, children spontaneously show their appreciation for colors, shapes, drawing, dance, music, and symbolic play. Maintaining and stimulating this aspect is fundamental to their overall development.
If your child likes to sing, dance, wear costumesTo invent stories or build imaginary worlds, the best thing you can do is continue to promote these activities from homeSome suggestions:
You can play with various toys, do symbolic play (playing house, doctor, superheroes, school), painting, using chalkboards, modeling with playdough, building little houses with blankets or boxes, inventing simple choreographies to their favorite songā¦ Any form of expression that allows them to show emotions, ideas, and characters It is valuable.
Inventing is a very enriching activity. stories told together in turnsFor example, you start with a sentence, your child adds another, then you go back, and so on, until you create a fun and unique story. This game stimulates their language, their imagination, and the family bond.
You can also provide them with open-ended materials (brushes, cardboard, fabric, loose pieces, recycled boxes) and let them experiment freely, without striving for a perfect result. The important thing is not the final product, but the process. creative processexploration and decision-making.
Creativity is also related to the ability to solve problems in different waysTolerating frustration when something doesn't go as planned and trying again will be very useful when they have to face new academic and social tasks at school.
Having these skills before starting school doesn't mean the child has to master them all to the same level, but rather that they progress through them with support, having real opportunities to practice and being accompanied by adults who believe in their abilities. The combination of autonomy, language, social skills, curiosity, mathematical foundation, motor coordination and creativity It will give you a solid platform to enjoy, learn, and grow in this new educational stage.
