All parents want their precious child to start their school journey well prepared.

However, there is often confusion about what being ‘school ready’ actually looks like.

Essentially, school readiness means that children should be able to manage themselves and their belongings in the school environment. Ideally, a new entrant should be able to sit quietly on the mat, listen to stories, follow instructions from the teacher, raise a hand to ask a question, wash their hands, sit and eat their lunch, identify and pack belongings in their bag and carry it, put on shoes / jersey/ hat and so on.

Most new entrant teachers agree that lack of these skills hinder efforts to push on with the academic learning journey.

Self-management, together with a well-developed sense of curiosity and love of learning are vastly more important than being able to write a few words, count or know the colours.

Latest research into learning has found children’s brain development happens through play. Play provides the foundations that will set them up for the rest of their life. Self-initiated play is creative, it helps children imagine and innovate.

Kereru Kindy and Childcare’s learning curriculum supports child-initiated learning through play.