Are your children starting first grade? Here are the things you must do before the first day

First grade marks a significant transition for children from the free and playful environment of kindergarten to a structured framework, where they are required to adapt to a new routine. They are required to sit for long periods, practice self-discipline, and adapt to new rules and laws.

On the social level, the transition requires a great deal of emotional investment. Children are required to form new connections, learn to initiate conversation, and find their place, while alongside the social challenge there are also academic challenges. Just before your children start first grade, there are several things you must do. Dr. Sarit Tagansky, director of the "Function" center in Givatayim, explains.

Tour and familiarization with the school

Visit the school before the start of the year, at least two or three times. Enter the classroom and show the child the important places: the boys' and girls' restrooms, the playgrounds, the principal's office, and the teachers' lounge. Explain to him who to turn to if there is a problem — the homeroom teacher, the teacher on duty, or the principal.

"From my experience as a mother and today as a grandmother, I also recommend coming in the afternoon to play at the school and get to know it up close, with the possibility of inviting friends who will be in the child's class, in order to strengthen social confidence."

Knowing the route and road safety

Practice the route to school on foot during the vacation and even mark it together with the child.

"I recommend putting ribbons in a color the child likes in certain places on the way to school. The child remembers and even enjoys it. The ribbon is his personal one, a kind of game that only he knows the secret of, and it gives a sense of personal security."

Also explain to the child what "safety patrols" are — older students who help cross safely at the crosswalk, and how to obey their instructions.

Social skills

Practice skills for creating contact and bonding conversation at home. Practice how to approach a new child, how to introduce ourselves, and how to offer to play together or join a game. Initiate small meetings with children from the new class already during the vacation, in a relaxed environment.

Adapting to a routine and preparing in advance

Start practicing the new routine at home at least ten days before the start of school. It is recommended to gradually move up the bedtime and wake-up time. In the morning, already practice the sequence of actions the child will need to perform. You can even prepare cards for him showing the steps one after the other, to help his biological clock adapt.

You and the child learn and organize everything in advance: order and organization also create mental order for the child, he knows what to expect and is not surprised. Teach him to prepare the backpack the night before, and it is possible to place the backpack next to the door.

Plan and prepare the lunch box in advance as well, and take care of the ingredients the child likes in a sandwich already in the evening. It is recommended to enlist all members of the household to practice the new routine.