Preparing for School Readiness

How can parents support the journey to school readiness?

Happily and simply.

This is achieved by spending quality time with children; encouraging school readiness through play, listening, stories, nursery rhymes, and related activities which help build language, confidence, emotional intelligence, and early academic skills – all through fun, natural experiences.

Nurture Language & Listening Skills

• • Read aloud daily: Bedtime stories.
  • Talk and listen often: Narrate daily activities, ask open-ended questions, and show genuine interest in what your child says. This enriches vocabulary and communication skills.
  • Sing nursery rhymes and play ‘finger’ games: Rhymes like “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” “Five Little Monkeys,” and simple jingles improve listening, phonological awareness, fine motor skills, and expressive language.
  • Play memory games: using lists of animal names, eating utensils etc.

Let Them Learn Through Play

• • Encourage pretend play and role‑playing: imaginative play develops self-regulation and confidence.
  • Offer varied toys and open‑ended materials: Blocks, cardboard boxes, art supplies, and dress-up clothes foster creativity and problem-solving skills.
  • Join in positively: Participate in play with emotional presence, asking questions like “What happens next?” – without taking over the child’s lead.
  • Play together with others: Playdates offer social practice in turn‑taking, sharing, and resolving conflict.

Build Early Literacy & Numeracy

• • Play simple learning games: ‘Eye-Spy’ using the sound not the letter name, rhyming word games, counting games using dice and sorting, using colored scratch-patch gemstones (colours, size, ordering of numbers etc).
  • Use everyday counting, sorting and maths vocabulary: Such as bigger than, smaller than, before and after. Discover, compare shapes, name and draw shapes.

Strengthen Emotional Intelligence & Self‑Regulation

• • Model positive discipline and praise: Use kind, clear encouragement, noticing successful attempts and guiding behaviour thoughtfully – not through anger or comparison.
  • Teach emotions and self-control through play: Games requiring turn‑taking, decision-making, or managing emotions in pretend play help build emotional resilience.
  • Encourage independence: Let children do small tasks – putting on shoes, opening lunchbox, carrying their bag – so they feel competent and ready for school routines.

Why Do These Activities Matter?

Warm, responsive parent – child interaction fosters attention, self-regulation, and engagement which is key to school readiness capacities. Repetition of rhymes enhances phonological awareness and early reading readiness – skills that develop before formal literacy instruction begins.

Rich language exposure through conversations, stories, and scaffolding supports vocabulary growth and communication confidence.

Final Tips for Parents

• Follow your child’s interests and pace, avoid pushing academic tasks too soon.
• Let mistakes happen!
• Stay emotionally regulated yourself; model calmness.
• Listen! Listening can support your child’s emotional well-being and readiness.
• Provide un‑structured play, both indoors and outdoors – even in varied weather – to build resilience, motor strength, and independence (think Danish-style free outdoor play).
• Stay emotionally regulated yourself: model calmness, and after-school care. Listening can support your child’s emotional well‑being and readiness.

By embedding storytelling, rhymes, play, and meaningful dialogue into everyday routines, parents lay the groundwork for academic skills – and perhaps more importantly, curiosity, confidence, emotional resilience, and a love of learning. If you’d like activity ideas tailored to a specific age or context, I am happy to help!

Robyn Richter, Learner Support