KeaM

Change is something many people feel uncomfortable with; starting a new job or moving to a new home or city can evoke feelings of fear and anxiety in many adults. Similarly, the move to a new school or new Grade may be overwhelming for our little ones too. For those children starting Grade 1 in 2023, parents can adopt a few strategies to help their children get through their big feelings and practice some basic social-emotional skills before they enter the classroom. “It’s been a long and unpredictable road leading up to the first day of school over the past two years. Changes in our normal routines have created unique challenges and families and children may have missed opportunities to develop the social-emotional skills they need for school,” explains Mari Payne, Director of Education and Outreach at Sesame Workshop International, South Africa. “Fortunately, there’s plenty parents can do to support their children, because parents are children’s first and most important teachers,” she adds. Payne provides some activities and games parents can play with their children to help get them ready for the first term of 2023: Taking Turns: Being patient and waiting for ‘their turn’ is something that may be new to children starting school. Practice turn taking with children by using verbal cues (“my turn, your turn” or “first you, then me, now you, now me”) and use timers to show how much time they will have to wait for their turn. You can use a digital timer, like on a phone or tablet, a kitchen timer, or a sand timer. Sharing is Caring: Sharing with others is an important school readiness skill, and a little different than taking turns! Practice this skill with little ones by engaging together in cooperative or collaborative play, like building a block tower together or painting together using the same jar of paintbrushes (older children might join you in painting on the same page). Whole-Body Listening: Playing Simon Says (or Elmo Says!) is a great way …