Little Acorns

Getting Ready For School

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Play board games that involve taking

turns

Read stories and play with puppets and dolls to explore

feelingsEngage in

conversation with your child at mealtimes

Provide opportunities for your child to

socialise with other children of a similar age

Communication and Language

Model being a listener by listening to your child and taking account of

what they say

Introduce new words through the context of

play

Use mime and gesture to

support language development

Ask open ended questions e.g. How

did you do that? What happened

next?

Give clear directions and

help your child to follow two part

instructions

Literacy

Visit the local library and choose

books together

Share stories and rhymes with your

child every day Talk about favourite books and characters

Don’t forget about non-

fiction books

Encourage your child to hear the sounds that

words begin with. Play games such as ‘I spy’

Physical Development

Play ball games to develop coordination (roll, throw, bounce,

catch)

Help your child to use scissors

Spend time outside whenever you can, go out for regular walks,

visit the park

Develop independence by encouraging your

child to dress themselves

Provide lots of drawing and painting materials for your child to experiment

with

Ensure children’s safety, whilst not

unduly inhibiting their risk-taking

Mathematics

Sing counting songs and

rhymesCount around the home – count the stairs as you climb them, count out

plates Play counting games, e.g.

skittlesComplete simple puzzles matching

shapesUse correct

mathematical language to describe shapes, size, height, length

Understanding the World

Make photos albums of visits you have shared and talk

about themTalk about changes in

the local environment, e.g. seasons

Ask questions about what they can see / hear /

smell

Talk to your child about the world

around them

Offer your child plenty of opportunities to explore the world

around them e.g. Visit a farm , ride on a train

Expressive Arts and Design

Allow your child to use paints, chalks, pencils and pens at

home

Provide dressing up clothes and props to support their

play

Try a messy play session at a local

playgroup

Listen to music and respond through dance and song