On the Coast – Families Issue 105 I April/May 2020 | Page 8
GREEN POINT CHRISTIAN COLLEGE
Is my child ready for school?
An important question for all young parents
We speak with Nicole Smith, Head of Primary School at Green Point Christian College
M
any parents spend
considerable time discussing
whether the will send their
kids to school early, on time, or hold
them back. For those parents whose child
falls into a grey area because of when
their birth date is, what year to send
them to school can be one of the most
difficult decisions to make. Do you start
your child at four and a half years, or do
you wait until they’re going on six? Are
they emotionally mature enough? Will
they be able to keep up academically?
The reality is school readiness is not
about being able to read or write, know
colours or count. These skills will be
taught at school.
‘School readiness is mostly about
emotional and social maturity, aspects of
development that we cannot
fast-track.’
The key areas of social maturity
and emotional development
include taking turns, self-
awareness, ability to separate,
consideration for others,
developing independence, self-
confidence, understanding and
managing their emotions and
big feelings, and establishing
positive relationships.
It may be useful to consider
the following questions about
your child as you make this assessment:
Can they move onto new activities
easily?
Do they separate well from their carer?
Do they interact with other children?
Can they recognise and express their
feelings, needs and ideas?
Can they concentrate on a task?
Can they make an independent
decision or choice?
Can they follow two or three
instructions at the same time? and
Missing Storytime?
Help develop your child's literacy with the
vibrant and interactive reading room of
Story Box Library - the best stories being
read aloud to you by your favourite
Australian storytellers.
This free online resource will instil a love of
books, reading and inspire their
imaginations, while enjoying activities to
improve language skills along the way.
An ever-growing library means it really is
Storytime, anytime!
Access Story Box Library and other
fabulous children's resources, through our
Library Service app. Simply search Central
Coast Council to download for free from
the App Store or Google Play or visit
centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/elibary
Join the library and enjoy the F R E E D O M
Join the library and enjoy the F R E E D O M
centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/jointhelibrary
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ON T H E C OA S T – FA MILIES