Little Acorns Getting Ready For School

Personal, Social and Emotional Development Play board games that involve taking turns Read stories and play with puppets and dolls to explore feelings Engage in conversation with your child at mealtimes Provide opportunities for your child to socialise with other children of a similar age

Communication and Language Model being a listener by listening to your child and taking account of what they say Introduce new words through the context of play Use mime and gesture to support language development Ask open ended questions e.g. How did you do that? What happened next? Give clear directions and help your child to follow two part instructions

Literacy Visit the local library and choose books together Share stories and rhymes with your child every day Talk about favourite books and characters Don’t forget about non- fiction books Encourage your child to hear the sounds that words begin with. Play games such as ‘I spy’

Physical Development Play ball games to develop coordination (roll, throw, bounce, catch) Help your child to use scissors Spend time outside whenever you can, go out for regular walks, visit the park

Develop independence by encouraging your child to dress themselves Provide lots of drawing and painting materials for your child to experiment with Ensure children’s safety, whilst not unduly inhibiting their risk-taking

Mathematics Sing counting songs and rhymes Count around the home – count the stairs as you climb them, count out plates Play counting games, e.g. skittles Complete simple puzzles matching shapes Use correct mathematical language to describe shapes, size, height, length

Understanding the World Make photos albums of visits you have shared and talk about them Talk about changes in the local environment, e.g. seasons Ask questions about what they can see / hear / smell Talk to your child about the world around them Offer your child plenty of opportunities to explore the world around them e.g. Visit a farm, ride on a train

Expressive Arts and Design Allow your child to use paints, chalks, pencils and pens at home Provide dressing up clothes and props to support their play Try a messy play session at a local playgroup Listen to music and respond through dance and song