There can be no denying that the last few years have been very strange for us all as Covid has interrupted our lives, our work and our children’s education.
To put things into perspective for the children, the boys and girls gearing up to start Reception in September would have only been one or two years old when we went into our first lockdown, so have spent the majority of their toddler years surrounded by people in masks, social distancing or just staying at home! I saw an incredible video the other day of a little boy of about four approaching an outdoor plug socket and putting his hand underneath thinking it was hand sanitiser. He rubbed his hands together as he walked off, looking perplexed as nothing had come out. It made me think how different these important first few years of development have been for this little pocket of pandemic children. And with them about to start school full time in a few weeks, how can we help them prepare?
With a quick Google, you will be able to find plenty of articles with titles such as ‘preparing for Reception’ or ‘what does your child need to know before starting school?’ and they will be packed with incredibly useful lists and ideas for you to do at home.
Some educational ones such as:
- Be able to recognise their name
- Be able to count forwards and backwards to 10
And some more encouraging independence:
- Putting on a coat and doing up the zipper
- Putting shoes on the correct feet
- Using cutlery effectively
- Being able to use the loo
- Using a tissue (and not putting it back in the tissue box!)
But from what we have seen from the children in our Nursery, this group of children are strong in the above areas. What I want to help with are the missing pieces; the social skills which may have fallen through the gaps due to no fault, except circumstance. What might our little pandemic pocket be missing?
Being at home with family for so much of their toddler years will have naturally created a strong bond, so they are going to find separation much harder. Even those who have attended Nursery this last year are unlikely to have done five full days before, so September is going to be a shock. Over the summer, perhaps you could start spending whole days away from home; day trips to the zoo or visiting a friend for the day. It’s just a case of getting your child used to being away from home for a long length of time.
It may also be useful (and rather nice for you!) to see if a family member or friend could do a day trip, so they have a double whammy of a whole day away from home and settling without a parent/main carer.
Provide as many opportunities as you can to socialise with others, especially with children of their own age. And even better with children they haven’t socialised with before. Can you find a new club or park to attend over the holidays? Encourage your little one to talk to the other children and integrate into their play rather than just play alongside them. The children may need you to help them at first by inserting yourself into the game (asking questions and suggesting imaginative ideas) and then removing yourself when you can. But be on stand by to help with taking turns and sharing, as – again – this is something our little pandemic pocket will not have had much experience in.
Give your child the space to find their own independence, not just with basic self-care (getting dressed, using the loo etc.) but with further skills such as packing a bag for the trip, laying out their clothes and preparing a meal. Allow them to make mistakes and then learn from them, such as filling up their own cup of water too much so it accidentally overflows. But then don’t rush in with a towel, let them think about the problem and find a solution themselves. It may not be the same solution as you would have chosen (they might mop it up with a dirty sock!) but it has the same outcome.
One of my favourite Early Years skills is risk taking, but this is also one of the hardest things to manage as a parent. When watching your child teeter at the top of a climbing frame you automatically want to shout ‘be careful’, but we want to encourage the children to manage their own risks and learn to know what is safe and what isn’t. You can support your little one on their mountaineering quest by asking them if they feel safe or do they have enough space? You can even encourage them by complementing them on their balancing skills. So, let’s get these little ones out of their safe bubble and somewhere a slightly out of their comfort zone.
Finally, don’t forget to talk with your children about their feelings. Communication and language will be a strength for these particular children as they have been lucky enough to have lots of one-on-one time with family and carers during lockdown, but we need to give them the opportunity to share without making it too obvious. Every day (even at weekends and school holidays), I ask my children what the highlight of their day was. More often than not, they tell me about a game they played or something they ate, but occasionally they tell me about something new they did or learnt. And sometimes, just sometimes, this leads to them telling me about a situation they found hard or upsetting which I can then help them understand and deal with.
Having read all the above, please don’t overly worry about your children starting school in September. As a teacher, one of the most amazing things about Early Years is seeing the children progress through the different stages of development at their own pace. This specific pocket of children will have areas where they may need a little more support, but they will also have strengths that will take us by surprise! I know Reception teachers all over the country can’t wait to meet them.
Camilla is head of Pre-Prep and Lower School at