By Sarah Jane Campbell

Starting school is a monumental time in a child's life! Make sure your child enjoys his/her early experiences of education by preparing them for it! In order to make a successful and happy start to school, there are several key communication skills which will help your child settle in. While all children develop at different rates and all children have the right to be accepted as they are, these are some of the key areas in which you as a parent/caregiver can help prepare your child. Below are the key aspects your child needs to have grasped before they start school, in order to keep up and even excel:

- Language development: The child speaks confidently, possesses a good vocabulary, has had exposure to books, and exhibits pre-reading skills and a desire to read.

- Social maturity: The child makes friends easily and is able to cooperate with others; s/he is secure, confident, and independent with respect to activities rather than thought (e.g., is able to go to the toilet alone).

- Behavior and discipline: The child accepts and respects authority, is obedient, and can sit still and listen.

- Health: The child is in good health and has also acquired certain physical skills. S/he also has the ability to cope with personal hygiene.

- Desire to learn: The child is curious.

- Specific skills: The child can use equipment (such as scissors or a pencil); count, recognize letters, know his or her address, and can write own name.

As start, make a few quick checks, to see how ready your child is for school:

Can your child:

- Listen to stories, learn rhymes, and recognize and name colors?
- Play, share, take turns and adapt to doing things differently?
- Cope with change and deal with challenges?
- Dress himself, pull down and up his pants, wipe his own bottom and wash his hands?
- Converse socially and express her needs?
- Run, jump, catch, balance and dance?
- Cut, paste and use pencils?
- Recognize numbers and begin counting?

 

How a Speech Therapist Can Help

Below are key skills related to communication and social skills that a Speech-Language Therapist can help with to prepare your precious child for school.

Communication Skills:

Initiate and sustain conversations with adults and other children
Speak clearly and audibly and maintain eye contact
Speech is understood by others than immediate family
Speak without shouting or whispering
Answer inferential questions, e.g. why? What’s next?
Describe recent experiences
Recite rhymes and sing songs
Retell stories
Understand requests/instructions and seek clarification
Carry out three directions in sequence
Listen attentively and answer questions in a group situation
Talk reciprocally with peers and take part in conversation
Interrupt conversations appropriately
Join in a conversation appropriately

Social Skills:

Face a person when they are talking and give "eye contact"
Comply with requests, cease activity when requested
Manage frustration and avoid tantrums
Wait patiently for several minutes for adult attention
Sit at a table and work for 10 minutes (with assistance)

Separate from parents

Independently begin an activity
Ask for and accept help if necessary
Play at an activity for 20 minutes or more
Play co-operatively with friends for 20 minutes or more
Share own toys with friends
Take turns in a small group game without assistance
Understand the needs and feelings of others

Emotional Skills:

Copes with change
Can separate from parents easily
Comply with requests to finish an activity when requested
Can share his/her own toys
Take turns in a small group without assistance
Has reasonable control over emotions
Can stand up for him/herself in the playground
Is responsible for own possessions

Intellectual Skills:

Can work independently on an assigned task
Can sort and match items according to simple attributes (size, function, color)
Able to maintain attention in a group setting
Draws a recognizable picture of their family
Names basic shapes and colors
Able to count out objects to 10

If you are concerned about your child's speech and/or language skills, get in touch with a Speech Therapist today. Alternately, check out my website for more information: http://vocalsaints.co.nz.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Jane_Campbell

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