The entry into Primary School is a big step for your little one. From a smaller and cozier preschool environment to a class of 30, your child may take a while to learn how to navigate through the new environment. Here, our founder Kelly Ong, shares 5 essential Primary school skills to equip your child with for primary school.
1. Money Handling Skills
Most of our children will be handling money regularly for the first time in their lives when they start Primary school. Hence, it is important for your child to firstly recognize the denominations. Thereafter he/she need to know how make purchases and handle change – all necessary when they buy food during recess or to make purchases from the bookstore. So, empower your child by letting him/her handle money for small items when you are out – at convenience stores or at hawker centres. Your child will also need to know how to count in 10s to handle “change” too.
2. Time Telling and Management
Time telling is a useful life skill to have – your child should be able to tell time so that he/she
understands which period/class he/she is attend. For e.g. children will need to leave their classrooms to attend physical fitness classes or to head to the Music Room, etc.
Additionally, this skill is necessary for tests and exams where the child knows how to allocate his/her time for the various sections of the paper. A good way to introduce the concept of time is to talk to your child about the time of the day as you go through your daily activities. Learning to count in 5s is also an important part to time telling.
3. Public Speaking Skills
In a new and larger class, children may be intimidated and lack the confidence to speak up. Encourage your child to order his/her own food when outside or assist you in making purchases at the supermarkets. Additionally, engage your child in conversations too; ask about his/her day in school, for his/her opinions about characters in stories, and praise him/her for their effort. All these would help your child verbalizing.
Another way to encourage more confidence in public speaking is to get your child to look into a mirror while practising. Recording the practice sessions would help too as it allows your child to be comfortable in front of a camera and review his / her attempts.
Taking ownership of their work and responsibilities is an ongoing journey for most children. Most schools would have a school handbook. You can encourage your child to record their daily homework in the book to build up the habit so that he/she will start being aware of their homework responsibilities.
You can also use a reward chart with your child to encourage the completion of his/her tasks in a timely manner.
5. Prepare for a New Routine
Children thrive on routines and sometimes it can take weeks for a child to get used to one. Some parents may find it useful in getting your child to wake up and sleep earlier leading up to Primary 1. Additionally, their lunch time may be a bit later than that in preschool as most primary schools’ dismissal time is from 130pm. Some schools provide a snack break during lesson time (around noon) so do pack something light and healthy for your child.
It is also a good practice for you and your child to come up with a timetable so that he/she is aware and prepared for what is to come. E.g. if your child has music classes outside of school every Tuesday, it helps the child visualize better on what is to come, and then prepare and pack his/her bag for that class.
Melodious Cove is a premium after-school student care centre, specially designed and founded by three passionate mothers, with the aim to create the best environment for your children to develop holistically.
Spanning over 10,000 square feet, Melodious Cove offers gender specific nap rooms and shower facilities. Additionally, the centre also has dedicated studios and areas for Art activities, Public Speaking, and Holiday Programmes. It also houses the best enrichment providers with proven track records, under one roof, supporting your child in English, Chinese and Maths.
Melodious Cove will also be hosting a tea session on 9 November 2019, 2pm to 5pm, on “Transitioning to Primary 1: how to support your child emotionally and academically”. Click here to register your interest for this free session.