1. 2010

2. To provide our youngest students the best start to learning. Best Start

3. No Expectations! No Benchmarks!

4. Recognise students enter Kindergarten with a range of abilities. Find out what the students know to allow teachers to plan and implement teaching and learning that support students and build on their knowledge and skills. Track and monitor the students’ progress as they develop along the continuum of learning. Assist teachers to provide accurate information about the students to parents and care givers. Why does my school assess on entry to school?

7. What questions will my children be asked? Can you point to some writing in this picture? Can you read this sentence? Can you point to a letter? Can you find letters that are the same? What sound does the letter make? Which words have the same first sound? Can you tell me what happened in the story I just read you? Who is your favourite character? Can you write your name? Can you write a sentence?

8. What maths questions will my children be asked? Start counting from 1 and I’ll tell you when to stop. Show me 5 counters. Show me 5 counters and then get another 3 and tell me how many you have altogether. What number is this? What is the next number after 7? How many dots can you see?

9. Feedback to parents

10. Read street signs, letters, junk mail, posters. Read books to your child that have rhyming words in them. Encourage your child to use their finger to follow a story as you read to them. Use plastic or magnetic letters to match letters. Encourage your child to notice characters in stories. Ask your child about his/her favourite part of the story or favourite character. Encourage name writing as a fun activity – finger painting, writing in sand, painting with wet paint brush etc. Write a word that your child can trace over.

11. Ask your child to make a simple pattern using two different coloured pegs, beads, stones.. and describe the pattern. Count with your child. Ask your child to point to numbers in story books and tell them the name of the number. Play card games where your child has to say the number. Count the number of eggs in a carton after some has been removed. Play a game of skittles encouraging your child to tell how many bottles were knocked down and how many are still standing after each bowl.

12. IS IT OKAY IF MY CHILD CAN’T “READ” AND “WRITE” BEFORE THEY COME TO SCHOOL? It is absolutely fine!