Starting Reception Checklist: A Guide to help your child start school in September

Help to Ensure Your Child has all the Basic Skills they need to start Primary School

While 9 out of 10 parents believe their child is ready to start reception, teachers say 1 in 3 children are actually school ready.

That's why a coalition of the top education and childcare experts have grouped together to create a checklist of 29 essential skills children should learn before starting their early learning journey for the first time. We've created a helpful round-up of this checklist to support parents and caregivers to help get your little one school-ready. 

Be sure to check out our early learning resources that help children get ready for starting school with confidence whilst develop their gross & fine motor skills, co-ordination, pencil grip and control, mark-making, letter formation, writing their own name and more. You can shop 10% OFF with code 'BLOG10': www.lovewritingco.com 

Growing Independence

Taking care of themselves

• Putting on and taking of their shoes and coats:

Allow your child to put on their shoes, coats and school bags on themselves; practising this everyday will help to build essential fine motor skills. Placing items in an accessible place they can reach means they can go and grab it themselves everyday.  Buying clothes and shoes that have Velcro makes it easier for children who cannot yet tie shoelaces or use a zip on their coat. 

Help your child strengthen their hands and fingers by building fine motor skills through fun craft activities like pasta threading, making paper chains or playing with building blocks. 

 

• Using the toilet and washing their hands:

Being confident to use the toilet on their own will make the transition from pre-school to primary school so much easier for your child. It's an important skill to develop to prevent any upset or confusion at school. Using posters with pictures and words that show step-by-step how to use the toilet is a great way to help your child understand what to do when they need to go. This will then build their vocabulary around the whole process of going to the toilet and establish a routine they can follow wherever they go. 

Love Writing Co. offers a free Hand Washing Guide to promote good hygiene skills from an early age with 20 gold stars to colour in for each time they use the toilet and wash their hands in the sink correctly. After your child has completed the step-by-step guide 20 times it's a good idea to create some incentive for a good job well done like a sweet treat or gold star sticker. 

 

• Using cutlery (e.g knife, fork spoon and or chopsticks) and drinking from an open cup:

Help to encourage your child to hold their knives, forks or chopsticks and sit down at the table in the correct way when they are eating independently. You can do this by building strength in their fingers and hands through fun activities like drawing, colouring or using play-dough.

Ways you can help build their hand fine motor skills: Ask your child to draw and colour in their favourite dinner or even make it with play-dough. Make play-dough burgers, hotdogs or spaghetti by moulding, sculpting and rolling the dough with our hands to improve hand strength and fine motor skills. 

When teaching children to drink from an open cup you should expect some spills! Buying a plastic cup that has handles on the side can help your child to hold it much easier. Let your child choose a cup with their favourite characters on to give them some control and a sense of independence.

Use a water play table or a small swimming pool in the summertime and provide your child with different size cups and containers they can practice scooping and pouring water for the ultimate water sensory experience. Water play is great for cognitive development, motor skills and sensory exploration. By the way… expect some splashes …. You have been warned! 😂

 

• Getting dressed with little help:

Lay your child's clothes out for them so they can get changed and undressed themselves. You might notice a few t-shirts on backwards at first but practice makes perfect! Let your child lead the way by asking them which piece of clothing goes where and make this fun by asking if their socks go on their head, hands or feet?

Ask them if they would like to choose what to wear, their favourite colour or outfit. This helps to give children a sense of individualism and creates excitement around the process of getting dressed for the day.

 

• Spending time away from you:

A child's first day at school can be upsetting not just for our children but for us parents too. We have some great ideas to help children gain independence and confidence whilst still feeling close to their parents/carers.

Try giving your child a matching friendship bracelet or a brave button that they can hold or press on if they feel anxious at school. Encourage a positive mindset by surrounding your child with positive affirmations around the house or in their bedrooms. Daily affirmations and reminders that you will always be there at the end of the day are great for encouraging positive thinking. 

 

Play, creativity and curiosity

• Taking part in imaginative play:

Role playing activities provide children with the opportunity to engage and learn about the world around them in a controlled learning environment. Whether this is roleplaying different professions like a shopkeeper, being a parent to a doll or playing with toy figurines, these activities help children to build essential skills that are all contributing factors to a child's development. Children who take part in role playing activities have improved cognitive development, emotional intelligence and a good imagination.

 

• Drawing, painting, colouring and sticking:

Mark-making activities and learning through creativity is a great way to help children build fine motor skills, good pencil grip and hand-eye coordination. So grab your pencils, colours and paints and let your child’s imagination run free to create their very own masterpieces. 

Drawing, colouring and writing is a joy with our easy-glide Love Writing Co. Washable Arty Crayons, especially developed to fit a child’s hand. The easy-glide age-appropriate design also prevents muscle fatigue, meaning children can enjoy colouring, drawing and writing for longer. Twistable easy glide paint stick crayons for children are perfect for little hands to develop fine motor skills. Helping nurture creativity, they feature a wider diameter that promotes the correct tripod grip and an optimal length for comfortable handling, which helps to alleviate stress.

• Sharing story books:

Sharing story books and looking at the pictures, talking about the characters and how they feel is a great way for children to develop empathy and good emotional intelligence. After finishing a book, take a moment to discuss what you’ve read together. Encourage engagement by asking questions like; ‘’Did you enjoy the story, what was your favourite bit?’’, or ‘’who was your favourite character?’’. Discussing the story and asking questions will help your child think about the story which in turn broadens the imagination and improves their memory, communication and decision making skills.

 

• Exploring the world around them

Helping your child to explore the world around them is about encouraging curiosity, discovery and hands-on learning in a safe and controlled learning environment. Create new experiences through STEM experiments and sensory activities like water play or sand tuff trays. It’s important to introduce your child to different materials and textures so take a nature walk or even play in the garden and let them observe nature like leaves and rocks or animals and insects. You can also take field trips to different places like museums, farms or local historical sites.

 

 

Building Relationships and Communication

Being with others

• Practicing sharing and taking turns with toys:

Teaching your child to share can take time and patience, but with the right approach, you can help them develop kindness and co-operation. Show generosity in your own actions, like sharing your food or belongings. Use phrases like, “Let’s share this snack” or “I’ll share my book with you.”

Another great way to encourage sharing and taking turns is playing board games or rolling a ball back and forth. When your child shares and shows kindness to others acknowledge this with phrases like ‘’That was kind of you to share your toy with your friend!’’

 

• Talking to them about how they are feeling and why:

Talking to your child about how they are feeling is crucial for their emotional and social development. When you create a safe space for your child to express their feelings children learn to recognise, understand and manage their emotions. Open conversations create a sense of trust, strengthens parent-child bonds and children feel safe knowing their emotions are valued and understood.

Talk to your child about how they might be feeling about starting school for the first time and just be honest with them. Encouraging healthy communication will help them process difficult situations and feel supported. Learning to cope with our emotions creates resilience and develops good problem solving skills which in turn will create a successful learning journey for them in the long run.

 

• Beginning to recognise what others are feeling:

 Use real life situations to identify emotions using phrases like ‘’Grandma is happy because she is smiling’’. Describe your own feelings by saying things like ‘’I am tired today, so I need a rest. And even use characters from TV shows or books to point out their emotions by asking questions like ‘’How do you think she feels in this story?’’.

 Express concern for others like ‘’That little boy fell over, I hope he is okay’’ and show kindness to others by saying ‘’Let's help Grandma carry her shopping’’. Helping children understand other people's emotions is key to developing empathy, good emotional intelligence and good social skills.

 

Physical Development

• Walking up and down steps:

This might seem like something simple to learn as it is what a child might do every single day but it's important your child has good balance, coordination and leg strength to develop gross motor skills which are essential for other physical activities like running and jumping.

 

• Climbing, running, jumping and playing:

Activities that support a child's physical health like climbing, running and jumping are important for a child's overall development as it strengthens motor skills and enhances agility. Physical activities also increase blood flow to the brain improving focus and memory, helps with problem solving skills and encourages curiosity and exploration. Exercise and playing outside can help to reduce stress, build confidence and help children to develop friendships and learn about teamwork. Going to the park, sports activities and dancing are all great ways to help your child improve both physical development and mental health

 

• Catching a large ball:

The ability to catch a large ball (most of the time) is a great way to boost a child's development. It enhances hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills, while also teaching them spatial awareness as they judge distance and speed. Focusing on tracking and catching the ball improves concentration, and the sense of achievement builds confidence and as mentioned earlier a fun way to practice taking turns by throwing/rolling the ball back and forth to each other.

 

• Doing simple puzzles and craft activities, strengthening their grip with cutting and sticking:

Drawing, colouring and painting are all great ways to build your child's hand strength before they start school and learn how to write. Puzzles encourage problem-solving, concentration, and hand-eye coordination, while crafts boost creativity and broaden a child's imagination. A fun activity to try that incorporates all of these essential skills is making your own puzzle! Draw out a design and then cut into six equal squares, mix them all up and have your child put the picture together again.

Take away the tears and frustrations of learning to write with Love Writing Co. Tripod Grip Writing Pencils, especially developed to fit a child’s hands and loved by little learners, parents and teachers. Developed to be the correct length and with a wider diameter, softer core and break resistant, our pencils prevent muscle fatigue whilst encouraging the correct tripod grip from the very first use, promoting a love of writing from an early age.

‘’Our 4 year old Granddaughter is starting School this September. She is starting to show great interest in writing and so when I saw your books, I purchased the package, we were overwhelmed. Poppy loves it! Her Parents think it is brilliant. Fantastic service from ordering to delivery. Books, pencils, bags etc are of exceptional quality. Most of all, Poppy is keen and interested. Thank you’’ - Helen H

 

Healthy Routines

• Going to bed around the same time each night, waking up in time ready for school

Having a consistent sleep schedule is crucial for children’s health and school success. Going to sleep at the same time every night helps regulate their body clock, leading to better-quality sleep and improved focus during the day. A well-rested child is more alert, better at problem-solving, and able to manage their emotions effectively. Waking up on time for school ensures a stress-free morning routine, reducing anxiety and helping them arrive ready to learn.

 

• Limit screen time for the recommended daily amounts 

The recommended screen time for children between the ages of 2-5 is up to one hour each day. Limiting screen time for young children is essential for their healthy development. Excessive screen use can interfere with sleep and reduce physical activity. Too much screen time can also impact attention span and creativity and replaces hands-on learning and imaginative play, which is essential to a child's development 

 

• Eating a healthy diet and try new foods

Eating healthy is essential for children's growth, development, and overall well-being. Nutritious foods provide the energy and nutrients needed for brain development, strong bones, and a healthy immune system. Healthy eating also builds good lifelong habits, encouraging children to make better food choices as they grow.

 

• Brushing their teeth twice a day

Brushing teeth twice a day is very important for children's oral health. Developing good dental hygiene habits early sets the foundation for lifelong oral health, reducing the risk of future dental problems. Healthy teeth also support proper speech development and chewing, ensuring overall well-being. Brushing teeth also builds fine and gross motor skills as well as hand-eye co-ordination. Children should practice healthy teeth brushing twice a day.

And there we have it!

That was a whole lot of information, if you made it this far thank you so much for reading and we hope in some way we can help you ensure your child can learn all the essential skills they need to know before starting school to set them up for the most successful learning journey possible! 

Please feel free to reach out to us for any tips, advice or recommendations for great handwriting resources if your child is struggling, we’d be happy to help! 

 Happy Writing! ❤️✏️

 

Check out our early learning resources that support the development of fine and gross motor skills, hand-eye co-ordination, mark-making and helps get your child ready to school learning. 

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Shop all Children's Fun Handwriting Resources Ages 3-9 - All Love Writing Co. products are endorsed by The British Dyslexia Association, complement the UK National Curriculum and our Complete Learn to Write Pack is 

Shop Handwriting and Alphabet Practice Workbooks - Cursive and Pre-Cursive handwriting practice books that complement the UK National School Curriculum | SEND friendly | lay-flat format is ideal for right or left-handed children

Shop Tripod Grip Writing Tools - Small, chunky, hexagonal writing pencils. Designed to be the correct length for children and with a wider diameter, softer core and hexagonal shape, our pencils prevent muscle fatigue and encourage the correct tripod grip, promoting a love of writing from an early age

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