Supportive parenting and stimulating home environments have been shown to be amongst the strongest predictors of school performance during primary school and beyond.  This is why we as teachers, and you as parents, can use our current stay-at-home situation to help to get your children as ready and prepared for school as we can.

For school readiness families should:

• Recognise that they are their child’s most important role-model, demonstrating ‘grace and courtesy’.
• Read, sing songs and recite nursery rhymes with their child, every day if they can e.g. rhyming words and I-Spy games.
• Celebrate their child’s achievement in language development. Get them to talk about the work they have done or experiences and share with their teacher, and family members. Ask children to tell parents stories by using the pictures in a book.
• Have fun with your child: playing, talking and sharing together regularly and frequently.
• Use every day experiences as learning opportunities and giving your child opportunities to take the lead e.g. What do you notice while on a walk? cobwebs, changes in seasons, minibeasts.
• Support your child’s self-help skills so that they learn to do things for themselves and to allow them to make choices. Never help a child with a task at which they can succeed.
• Use RULER to recognise and talk through your child’s feelings and emotions.
• Provide opportunities for your child to develop independence skills, for example with toilet training. Putting on shoes, coats and wellies and helping to lay the table.
• Allow enough time for relaxation, rest and play.
• Establish a good sleep routine.
• Ensure your child is active and healthy.

This BBC Starting Primary School might be useful.