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Set for School at BestStart Whangaparaoa
Over the past few months, kaiako in the preschool room at BestStart Whangaparaoa have been defining and redefining what school readiness looks like for our centre and our community as a whole. We tapped into the knowledge and experience of the teachers in our Kāhui Ako and organised a parent evening, inviting all parents from across the centre to attend. Kaiako from the primary schools shared valuable information with us and highlighted some of the practices we already implement in our preschool room.
As parents, we often think that reading and writing are the most important skills for tamariki to develop before starting school. However, as kaiako, we understand the immense value of good emotional and social regulation skills. Tamariki with strong self-care abilities—such as dressing themselves, opening and closing their lunch boxes, carrying and packing their bags, and taking care of their belongings—have more time to enjoy the fun aspects of being at big school.
The primary school kaiako also emphasised other important skills, such as cutting skills, fine motor and gross motor development. Activities like hanging on monkey bars help tamariki build the muscles needed to sit for longer periods and write with a good pencil grip.
Social and emotional skills include interacting with others, speaking up when help is needed, engaging with new friends, and managing feelings around new social situations. Tamariki learn to handle not always being included in everyone’s play, compromising, and understanding that making mistakes is okay.
At BestStart Whangaparaoa, we have taken the advice from our primary school kaiako to heart. Our mission is to ensure that we support tamariki to be well-prepared for big school—not only mentally and physically but also emotionally. We know that transitioning to big school can be a daunting and sometimes scary experience for both tamariki and their parents. We are hopeful that our support and guidance will create an environment where parents and tamariki feel comfortable growing and learning, preparing them to embark on the exciting journey of starting big school.