Wouldn't it be great if your child was excited to go start school instead of nervous and proclaim they couldn't wait to become a student? This is what school readiness classes can do.
Parents are all on that journey of preparing their little ones for the road of life and in doing so, have the privilege of discovering who their children are and what skills and activities they like. It's a parents job to help fuel the many activity services that exist in the community such as sports groups, dance, music, art, outdoor adventures, swimming schools, computer clubs, cooking… well, the list is endless!
What many parents may overlook is that being a student is a skill set in its own right!
At Begin Bright, we understand the difference between being thrown into the deep end of starting school with no knowledge of what's to come or arriving on their first day with what we call 'school readiness' – the knowledge of what school skills they are confident in and abilities they can already show off to their peers and teachers.
Often the first day can dictate the perception of the education system to a little one for the duration of their schooling and why wouldn't you want to ensure that it's the best possible and positive start of learning and growing?
We know everyone is unique and are good at some skills and need attention in others. At Begin Bright, we can balance that situation by enhancing their positive attributes and bringing up to speed some of the school readiness skills that you as a parent can see they need extra time and attention to fine-tune.
Here are some of the school readiness attributes we address at Begin Bright:
Social Skills
We enjoy providing familiarisation with the school environment by focusing on listening, cooperating, taking turns, following instructions and trusting their caregivers/teachers. Any parent who has multiple children will know that these qualities are often played out differently at home amongst siblings!
Confidence
Sometimes a child can be sharp and intelligent but miss out on the opportunity to be heard without confidence in large groups. Our teachers can help bring to them to the front of the class so they feel valued and sure in their participation in learning and expression. You know what they like and are good at and we can ensure others can see that too.
Fine Motor Skills
When a child knows how to work the tools of the trade, everyone saves time and effort. By addressing proper pen techniques and the usage of many different school items correctly we can free up your child’s learning to focus on absorbing all of that wonderful information coming their way and help make them feel they fit in well within the class.
Speech Skills
We can provide for your child familiarity with phonemic alphabet sounds and pronunciation, number concepts and have the basics of letter and number formation stored well under their learning hat. Begin Bright's programmes are a perfect complement to Speech and/or Occupational Therapy. With an emphasis on correct placement of the tongue and intonation we also instil a sense of confidence in a child’s ability to express themselves in a school environment.
All of our pupils come from a diverse range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds and Begin Bright values each and every one of them.
Additionally, we provide to you, the parent, peace of mind. We understand that your child is your greatest investment in life and no one need be told that their child is lacking or behind. At Begin Bright we see these issues as a case of balance, that all that is needed is some quality attention to ensure your child's skills are all on the same level so you can relax and look forward to the positive feedback and reports from school for having a brighter, more confident and happy child.