Ready, Set, School! Helping Your Child Prepare for the Big Step!
- Discover My World
- Jun 25
- 4 min read
Supporting the Journey from Early Learning to Big School – with Heart, Purpose, and Play. At Discover My World, we know that the transition to school is one of the most exciting—and emotional—milestones in a young child’s life. For families, it's the beginning of a brand new chapter. For children, it’s a leap into a whole new world of discovery, independence, and connection.
But here's the truth: getting "school ready" is not about knowing your ABCs backwards or reciting times tables before breakfast. It's about building confidence, nurturing curiosity, and developing the social and emotional tools that will help your child thrive.
As Starting Blocks (Australia’s national resource for early education) reminds us, school readiness is about the whole child—not just the academic stuff.
What Does "School Readiness" Really Mean?
‘School readiness’ refers to the skills, behaviours and attitudes that help children participate and succeed in school. It includes:
Social & emotional development
Physical wellbeing
Language & communication
Cognitive skills
Independence
It’s not a checklist to be ticked. It’s a gradual process of growing, learning, and practising life skills—through play, through connection, and through everyday routines.
At DMW, we believe that readiness for school starts well before uniforms and lunchboxes. It begins with simple, powerful moments: packing away toys, waiting for a turn, asking for help, or sharing a story.
Signs Your Child May Be Ready for School
According to Starting Blocks and the NSW Department of Education, children may be ready to begin school when they’re showing progress in the following areas:
Social Skills
Gets along with others
Can play cooperatively and take turns
Shows kindness and empathy
Can separate from parents with growing confidence
Emotional Maturity
Manages feelings in group settings
Copes with new routines and environments
Shows resilience when things don’t go their way
Language & Communication
Can listen and respond to others
Expresses ideas and needs clearly
Understands stories and instructions
Cognitive Development
Demonstrates curiosity and early problem-solving
Can concentrate on a task for short periods
Has an emerging sense of numbers, letters and patterns
Physical Skills
Can run, jump, climb and balance
Uses fine motor skills for tasks like drawing or turning pages
Feeds themselves and manages their own belongings
Independence
Uses the toilet independently
Opens lunch containers, gets dressed, washes hands
Begins to manage transitions and changes in routine
The Power of Play
The best preparation for school? Play.Unstructured, incidental, hands-on play is one of the most effective ways to build a child’s skills across all developmental areas. Whether it’s role-play, building blocks, mud kitchens or puzzles—play fosters imagination, social connection, motor skills, and resilience.
As researchers and educators agree, children don’t need to be able to read, write or sit still for long periods before starting school. What they really need is time to play, problem-solve, imagine, and connect.
Understanding the Transition to School Digital Statement
The Transition to School Digital Statement is a fantastic initiative from the NSW Department of Education that helps ensure each child’s transition is supported holistically.
With your consent, we at DMW create this document to share with your child’s future school. It highlights your child’s strengths, interests, and learning styles so that their new teachers can get to know them before the first day even begins—making that transition just a little smoother and more personal.
The Power of Partnership
A smooth transition isn’t just about what happens at home or at care—it’s about everyone working together. That’s why we’re big believers in strong partnerships between families, early learning educators, and schools.
From conversations during drop-off to formal transition planning meetings, open communication and collaboration help children feel safe, supported, and confident as they move between learning environments.
If your child has a disability or additional needs, the NSW Department of Education strongly encourages early and tailored planning—something we are always here to help with.
Book Suggestions for Starting School
Storybooks can help children visualise and understand what school might be like. Some great reads include:
Daisy’s First Day by Jane Godwin
First Day by Andrew Daddo
Starting School by Jane Godwin and Anna Walker
These can prompt questions, ease worries, and open up conversations about school life.
Getting Ready for the Big School Adventure
Here are a few gentle ways to support your child’s transition to school while keeping things fun, playful, and pressure-free:
Arrange playdates with children who will attend the same school to build friendships and familiarity
Build self-help skills like dressing, packing a bag, and using the bathroom independently
Play games together to practise turn-taking, patience, and bouncing back when things don’t go to plan
Share books daily—stories are magical for building vocabulary, imagination, and a love for learning
Chat about feelings—encourage your child to name and express emotions, and help them find ways to manage big ones
Explore the school environment if you can: visit the school, walk past it, attend orientation days, or talk about what the day might look like
And above all—let them play. The very best preparation for school is unstructured playtime: in the sandpit, with a dollhouse, making mud pies, building a cubby, or pretending to be a firefighter. Play builds brains and hearts.
Extra Resources for Families
A Final Word from DMW
We understand that the transition to school brings a mix of emotions for families—pride, excitement, nerves (and maybe a few tears too!). That’s why we’re here to walk beside you and your child every step of the way. Whether they’re heading off in a few months or a couple of years, the journey starts now—and it starts with connection, care, and confidence. And of course, feel free to reach out to us at DMW anytime—we love sharing this journey with you.
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