PLAY IS THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR SCHOOL READINESS

Very few property developers would rush ahead with a project without ensuring that the foundation is secure and that it meets the criteria of the building inspector. Parents would be wise to follow the same advice when preparing their child for 'BIG' school. School readiness is a process that begins long before grade 0 or the child's pending sixth birthday.

Long before the roof of the building (which comprises of literacy, writing and numeracy skills) can be laid by the school teacher, careful attention needs to be given to the building blocks upon which they are placed. This need not be an expensive exercise. Modern technology is wonderful, but nothing is better than tried and tested methods. Everyday objects and activities are valuable sources of learning experiences.

GROSS MOTOR SKILLS

Physical development is key to the child's ability to sit at the desk for a sustained period, participate in sport and interact with their peers on the playground. Encourage your child to play outside. Make obstacle courses with chairs, tables and blankets to crawl under. Encourage hopscotch, skipping ropes and balancing games. Throwing balls into a target and catching or hitting balls is a must. Wheelbarrow and crab walking should be encouraged.

Dirty play is healthy play. Let them dig and climb and roll on the grass.

FINE MOTOR SKILLS

Writing skills begin with the development of muscle strength in the finger muscles. Play with play dough with hands and fingers only. Squeeze and roll and poke. Squeeze pegs and pick up balls with salad tongs. Thread beads and sew shoelaces into holes punched in paper plates. Cut polystyrene trays and decorate with glitter glue. Draw on as many surfaces as possible e.g. chalk on paving, use sticks in sand, flour on a tray for finger drawing. Encourage your child to peel fruit and open bottles etc themselves.

MIDLINE CROSSING

The child must be able to move right hand to left side of body and vice versa. This is an important skill for reading and writing. Practice star jumps and marching. Draw large rainbows from side to side without moving body. Practice drawing and building diagonal lines when playing. In everyday activities e.g. bathing and playing encourage the child to reach over the midline. Draw a number eight on its side, as big as possible.

PERCEPTUAL SKILLS

These skills are encouraged through PLAY. Play with a variety of toys with your child. Puzzles are useful, but there are many more exciting educational games and toys available in stores. Read to your child. Ask questions about daily events. Play I spy with my little eye. Complete dot to dot pictures. Play noughts and crosses. Play board games. Copy patterns made with matches or buttons. Use the worksheets they complete at school to guide your play. Talk about differences, opposites etc. Limit time using educational computer games. Children need to feel and explore real objects to learn.

PLAY PLAY PLAY Play with your child. Enjoy the time together! There will be enough time for structured work during their school career. PLAY!