School Readiness- Helping all children and children with Additional Needs.

Additional Needs.

School readiness.

Implications for practice:  Intentional teaching practices: (Background)

Emotionally supportive.

Fosters social, emotional and regulatory skills.

Promotes early literacy and maths skills. (Rethinking school Readiness.  www.rch.org.au/ccch/policybriefs.cfm 2008).

‘The key factor in promoting children’s school readiness in all environments… is the nature of the relationships they experience’. 

Intentional Teaching Practices.

. encouraging children’s participation in group games and experiences.

.talking positively to children about starting school.

.encouraging independence in all areas of self care.

. helping children to use pencils, crayons, textas, scissors and glue unassisted.

 

 

 

Additional Needs Further support:

Sensory integration activities:

Managing reactions to emotional overload: “The behavioural outbursts that result when children are overwhelmed by sensory input are an educational issue, not a behavioural one.”

Therefore: Punishment won’t work.

What could work:

Calming activities: jumping activities, possibly over a rope back and forth on the ground or on a small trampoline.  Giving deep pressure massage.  Perform heavy work tasks like sweeping or wheeling a wheelbarrow.  Placing a wheat bag on their laps  during quiet activities; or using headphones for those who over react to auditory input .  Continue to use “fidget toys”; a favourite small toy or sensory object.

Sit child to outer edge of group so they are not jostled by others.

If the child becomes overwhelmed then they need permission to withdraw to calm themselves.

These are useful activities are for children overwhelmed by sensory input.

 

For those that underreact to sensory input:

Extra exposure to a range of physical and tactile experiences so they learn to discriminate different sensations.  Identifying unseen objects in a Feely bag.  Massage, messy play, swinging by their arms. 

For those who overreact to sensory input, eg touch.  Finger-painting or paint in a zip lock bag, clay work and covering with plastic wrap until child becomes used to it.

 

(Porter L. (Third ed.) Young Children’s Behaviour. Practical Approaches for Caregivers and Teachers.)

 

 

. reading with children.

. ICT skills. 

(www.ncac.gov.au Australian Government, 2008).

Kidscreative.