Personal, social and emotional awareness

One of the greatest skills that you can teach your children is that of independence in terms of getting dressed.  If your child can button and unbutton their shirt, put on their socks and shoes independently and fasten their coat, they will find getting ready for PE, playtimes and the end of the day much easier.

At home you can:

  • Encourage your child to dress and undress independently.  Let your child try on their uniform so that they are accustomed to any fastenings and turning clothes back in the right way.
  • Practise doing up coats, shoes, buttons and zips.
  • Practise opening and closing the book bag - they can even practise putting a book and sheet of paper into the book bag - this will help them be ready to bring home examples of their artwork and learning without it getting damaged.
  • Teach your child to use the toilet independently and to wash his or her hands afterwards .
  • Teach them to use a tissue to blow and wipe their nose. Know to put it in the bin.
  • Encourage your child to put things away when he or she has finished using them. 
  • Teach your child to use a knife and fork. Know that tools like scissors and knives need to be used safely.
  • If your child is having a packed lunch, try packing some lunches together. What would they like to eat? Can they open the box? Can they open the different packages?
  • Look at the school menu (on our website) and look at the different foods. Try some at home, including a range of fruit for snack time.
  • Teach your child to drink from a cup
  • Encourage turn taking and sharing when your child plays games with siblings, friends or with yourself. Model key phrases such as “My turn please” or “Let’s share”.
  • Join in with games and activities with other people.  If government guidelines regarding Covid-19 allow this, having a friend round to play or going to someone else’s house for a little while without parents is great for encouraging independence and confidence. 
  • Ensure bedtime routines are well established - your child will be very tired after a long day at school, therefore a clear bedtime routine is important.