Ready, Set, School! Summer Tips…
Ready, Set, School! Summer Tips to Help Your Child Thrive on Their First Day
Starting school is one of the biggest milestones in early childhood. It’s a time filled with excitement, nerves, pride, and often a few tears, both for children and parents. For many families, the summer before school starts feels like a countdown. Parents wonder: Have we done enough? Is my child ready? Should I be teaching letters and numbers? The truth is, school readiness isn’t about knowing how to read or count, it’s about helping your child feel emotionally safe, socially confident, and practically capable in a new environment.
The best preparation for school doesn’t happen in a workbook. It happens in everyday moments, while putting on shoes, playing in the park, or navigating emotions after a disagreement with a sibling. These are the skills that support a smooth transition and long-term success in school.
This blog draws on the latest evidence in child development and early education to guide you through simple, practical things you can do over the summer holidays. Whether your child is excited or unsure, these tips will help them feel prepared, confident, and secure on their first day and you’ll feel reassured too.
1. Boost Independence Skills
Children who feel capable are more likely to adjust confidently to school routines.
Practice self-care: Encourage your child to dress themselves, use the toilet independently, wash hands, and tidy up after playing. These are the kinds of skills that promote autonomy and reduce anxiety in a new setting.
Lunch and snacks: Practice opening lunchboxes, unwrapping packaging, and eating independently.
Why it matters: A 2021 study in the Early Years Journal found that self-care skills were strongly linked to smoother school transitions and better emotional regulation.
2. Establish Predictable Routines
School life is structured, so easing into a predictable routine over the summer helps reduce the shock of change.
Consistent bedtimes and wake-up times
Morning routines with visual timetables (brushing teeth, getting dressed, breakfast)
Practice “getting ready” drills (e.g., packing a bag, putting on shoes)
Routine and predictability help young children feel safe, which supports brain development and emotional resilience (Center on the Developing Child, 2016; Education Endowment Foundation, 2022).
3. Build Social and Emotional Confidence
Children starting school need strong social and emotional foundations, often more than academic ones.
Name and express emotions: Use storybooks, role-play, and real-life moments to help your child recognise and talk about feelings like nervousness or excitement.
Playdates and group play: Opportunities to take turns, share, and resolve minor conflicts help children build essential peer skills.
Separation practice: Short, positive goodbyes over the summer can help children trust that you’ll always return.
Emotional readiness, not academic knowledge, is one of the strongest predictors of early school success (Denham et al., 2012; Blair & Raver, 2021).
4. Support Communication and Listening Skills
You don’t need flashcards. Just talk.
Chat throughout the day: Describe what you’re doing, ask open-ended questions, and model back-and-forth conversations.
Read together: Storytime boosts vocabulary, imagination, and concentration. Let your child turn pages, predict endings, and talk about the characters.
Practice listening games: Try “Simon Says,” sound matching, or musical statues to help your child build attention and listening skills.
Language-rich home environments are closely linked with better early literacy and classroom adjustment (Hart & Risley, 2003; OECD, 2022).
5. Visit the School (if possible)
Becoming familiar with the school environment reduces uncertainty and fear.
Attend settling-in sessions or open days.
Walk or drive past the school regularly and talk about it positively. If you can’t walk around the school, get out and look through the gates, familiarity boosts confidence.
If allowed, show them where they’ll hang their coat, eat lunch, or play outside.
Familiarisation is key, children who visit their school beforehand and hear positive messages feel significantly more confident (Brooker, 2008; EEF, 2022).
6. Build Excitement and Reassure
Your attitude sets the tone.
Talk positively about school, even if you’re feeling anxious yourself.
Let your child express worries without rushing to “fix” them. Listen, validate, and reassure.
Involve them in buying a school bag or choosing a water bottle, small things that help them feel prepared and included.
A parent’s emotional tone significantly shapes how a child experiences a transition (Pianta & Kraft-Sayre, 2003; OECD, 2022).
7. Play “School” at Home
Role-playing school routines (register, story time, playtime) can be a fun way to demystify what school might feel like. Let your child be the teacher!
Unstructured, child-led play supports executive function, emotional coping, and school adjustment more than formal literacy prep (Whitebread & Basilio, 2021; Roberts-Holmes & Bradbury, 2023).
Final Thoughts
Starting school is a huge transition, for your child and for you. It's normal to feel a mix of pride, anxiety, excitement, and even sadness as you watch your little one take this next step. But remember, getting ready for school is not about having everything “perfect.” It’s about creating opportunities for your child to feel capable, safe, and connected as they approach this new chapter. By focusing on everyday skills like independence, emotional resilience, and social confidence, you're giving your child a strong foundation that will serve them far beyond the classroom. You don’t need to over-schedule or rush, small, consistent experiences matter most. Play, talk, laugh, read, and connect. Let your child practise life skills in real life, not on worksheets. You are your child’s best teacher, and your relationship with them is the most powerful school readiness tool you have. With your encouragement, they’ll walk into school not just ready to learn, but ready to thrive.
References
Blair, C., & Raver, C. C. (2021). School readiness and self-regulation: A developmental neuroscience perspective. Annual Review of Psychology, 72, 111–139.
Brooker, L. (2008). Supporting Transitions in the Early Years. McGraw-Hill Education.
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2016). Building Core Capabilities for Life.
Denham, S. A., Bassett, H. H., & Zinsser, K. (2012). Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Advancing the Field of Emotion Regulation. Child Development Perspectives.
Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). (2022). Early Years Evidence Store: Transition to school.
Hart, B., & Risley, T. R. (2003). The Early Catastrophe: The 30 Million Word Gap. American Educator.
OECD (2022). Starting Strong VI: Supporting Meaningful Interactions in Early Childhood Education and Care.
Pianta, R. C., & Kraft-Sayre, M. (2003). Successful Kindergarten Transition: Your Guide to Connecting Children, Families, and Schools.
Roberts-Holmes, G., & Bradbury, A. (2023). Reclaiming Play: The Role of Play in Preparing for School. UCL Institute of Education.
Whitebread, D., & Basilio, M. (2021). Play, self-regulation, and school readiness. Cambridge Centre for Research on Play in Education.