Learning Problems-The-

What should my child be able to do by the time they start school?

introduction

Children develop at different speeds. However, there are certain requirements that children should meet before starting school. A child should have certain skills in terms of language development, social behavior and motor skills.

It is important that children are able to express themselves clearly before starting school. You should be able to express your wants and needs in words. With regard to social behavior, it is helpful if a child is able to follow the rules and be able to concentrate for several minutes before the class.

It is easier for the child to get used to everyday school life when they are able to fit into a group and perceive the feelings of their peers.

General

By starting school, children should also have fine and gross motor skills. This includes dressing and undressing yourself and holding and using pens, scissors and other handicraft utensils. At school age, a child should be able to jump over a rope with both legs at the same time, do a jumping jack and hop on one leg.

Whether a child is ready for school enrollment is determined with the enrollment test (see below) examined. An enrollment test is a playful test of how far the child has developed in various areas.

For more detailed information on this topic, see: School enrollment

What does the school entrance test do?

Before starting school, children take a school enrollment test to determine whether a child is ready for school. The parents receive an invitation from the responsible health department or the child's future school. The test can take place in kindergarten, in the future primary school or at the responsible health department.

The school enrollment test includes medical exams that examine the child's eyesight, hearing, weight, height, and teeth. The child's blood pressure is measured and the child’s sense of balance, balance and motor skills such as hand-eye coordination are tested. The vaccination status of the child is also compared on the basis of the vaccination card.

The school enrollment test is a playful test that is tailored to the child's development. The test includes the examination of language development. For example, spoken word completion is played. The examiner gives the child a clear word that is missing an important letter and the child should say the correct word. For example, say “Eleant” and have the child say “Elephant”.

In addition, the child's social behavior is queried and observed. For example, you ask the child to name their favorite friends in kindergarten and ask questions about the friends. For example, whether they will go to the same elementary school. The child is asked to give their address and birthday.

Objective painting is also observed. The examiner asks the child to paint a manikin or a house with a tree. A five to six year old child should be able to correctly paint the proportions and geometric shapes. For example, that the tree is smaller than the house and that the person in turn is smaller than the tree.

The child should have some understanding of colors and shapes. For example, it should draw a red triangle or a green circle. The examiner also checks whether the child understands the difference between singular and plural. This can be tested playfully by asking whether one or more animals are shown in a picture in a book.

The child is also asked directly whether they would like to go to school. The result of the school enrollment test is often discussed personally with the parents on the same day.

Would you like more information on this topic? You can read more about this in our next article: School enrollment test

Does my child have to be able to write?

In principle, children do not have to be able to write before starting school. Many children get to know letters and numbers in kindergarten, some even read and write. This can make it much easier for the child to start school.

At the same time, it can also lead to the fact that the children lead increasingly underchallenged. It is therefore not necessary to teach the child to write before starting school.

However, it can help the child settle in at school more easily and be fun if you teach them letters in a playful way before school. Looking at picture books with the child and reading them aloud promotes the child's vocabulary.

You may also be interested in the next topic: Early detection of dyslexia

Does my child have to be able to count?

For children, math and arithmetic are like a foreign language made up of numerous symbols - numbers. Getting an understanding of math is a lengthy process. Children do not need to be able to solve complicated math problems before starting school.

However, it can be of use to the child in elementary school if they have learned about numbers beforehand. The understanding of numbers and an active use of numbers make arithmetic easier for the child in the course of development.

A child should be able to count to ten or even more when they start school. For example, dice games are very good for practicing and understanding numbers and are a lot of fun for most children.

This topic could also be of interest to you: Early detection of weaknesses in numeracy

Does my child have to be able to dress alone?

Independence gives the child self-confidence and makes many activities in the new school environment easier. A child should be able to dress and undress himself before starting school.

Basically, most children of school age have sufficient motor skills to deal with buttons, snap fasteners and zippers. If one or the other child is too lazy and the parents are too nice, you can practice undressing and undressing yourself before starting school.

Jackets and shoes, especially rubber boots or winter boots, are often taken off in front of the classroom and taking them off and putting them back on can easily be learned by the child at this age. However, in winter many children need more help. It is not uncommon for the children to wear two sweaters on top of each other, a thick snowsuit or complicated hats and gloves.

If the children get along well with other peers, the children often help each other.Nonetheless, the children's knowledge that they are able to dress themselves is gold. The child feels confident like a "big" child. Especially at the beginning of school it is easier for the child and uncomfortable situations in front of the classroom can be avoided.

Does my child have to be able to tie their shoes on their own?

By the age of 5-6, children usually have the necessary fine motor skills to tie their own shoes. You can only practice tying a bow with the children just before they start school.

A good way to make the complicated process of tying a bow easier for children is to tie playful shoes with a piece of wood or cardboard. The children can practice dry, so to speak, and then try it out on their own shoes.

A child should be able to tie their own shoes, as this may be necessary in everyday school life and on excursions. In many schools slippers are worn in the classrooms so that the children have to tie their shoes several times a day.

Read the next article on the topic of everyday school life at this point: School year