Going
Solo
Starting school for the
first time is a big step.
Angela Baura asks
local experts for advice
on how to prepare
your child to go it
alone at school
F
or parents of preschoolers,
the long and leisurely summer
months present the perfect
opportunity to enjoy precious
time with little loved ones and prepare
them for perhaps their most daunting
milestone to date: going solo at
school.
As exciting as it is, this rite of
passage can naturally bring about the
jitters in parents and children alike.
Here, six Hong Kong experts share
their tips to help your child settle well
at school:
Nursery and Kindergarten
Visual home-to-school transition
To prepare young children for kinder-
garten, they need to know when school
will begin, says Tess Baguio, Principal
of Small World Christian Kindergarten
in the Mid-levels. A visual calendar can
help children count down to their first
day of school and a picture schedule
can let them know what’s in store for
them. “A simple picture schedule of
your child’s day (bus to school, arrival
at school, greeting teachers and
friends, play time, snack time, toilet
time, saying goodbye, travel home, I’m
home!) will help them know what will
happen next and familiarise their daily
routine,” Tess advises.
Take something familiar to school
As your child joins the ranks of
independent school-goers, he may
want to keep a family picture and his
favourite toy with him. “A family picture
and a familiar stuffed toy, blanket or
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