Resources

Social Stories provide opportunities to discuss and learn about basic social rules, school rules and teacher expectations. These can be used with the Transition to School Communication Dice when rolling and talking about the questions.

How to make a friend – Starting school is a perfect opportunity for young children to make new friends. Many children require support to initiate conversation and play with their peers. This social story provides suggestions of how to do exactly that!

Personal Space– Personal Space can be challenging for some children. This social story can support children to respect others’ personal boundaries, an important consideration when entering into a new environment and developing positive relationships with others.

Feelings– Starting school can generate lots of different feelings and emotions. This social story expose children to different feelings helping them to develop an understanding of their own feelings allowing them to communicate their needs, self-regulate, recognise those of others and be a good friend.

Being Calm– At school children are responsible for their own choices and behaviour. Help your child develop strategies and explore different ways to calm down when in a heightened state. Encourage your child to use these strategies both at home and in the community.

Waiting– Waiting does not come naturally to all children, however when they begin school there are multiple times throughout the day that they will have to wait. Help your child develop strategies for waiting and practise these in the comfort of your own home or out and about in the community.

Following a recipe has endless educational benefits for children! Some of these include enhancing a child’s literacy and numeracy skills as they follow the instructions and measure the ingredients whilst having FUN!

Paint and Play dough– Spend some one on one time making paint or creating playdough with your child. These experiences are not only fun, they will also enhance creativity and strengthen finger / wrist muscles, fundamental aspects of learning.

Chicken and Corn soup and Meatloaf– Involve your child when preparing or cooking a meal. Sharing the experience is much more fun and can enhance numeracy and literacy skills, patience, independence and self esteem.

Billy Backpack Challenge Cards – consists of 52 practical experiences that can be done in and out of the home to prepare your child for school.

Drawing Activity Page 

Tracing Activity Page 

Flashcards

Alphabet and Numbers 

YouTube- Story Box Library https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNKurKJkTu4

Join Wynn, Izzy, Sumedha, Alfie and Hugo as they reflect on their first year of school, give a little bit of advice to those who are starting out and read along to Starting School by Jane Godwin and Anna Walker.