Starting school is a huge milestone. It can feel exciting, emotional and slightly baffling when the child who still needs help finding the shoes that are right in front of them is suddenly expected to manage a book bag, a coat and a classroom full of new routines.

I’m Rachel. Alongside teaching classes for The Mummas Village and running after my own two boys, I’m a qualified Early Years Teacher, so I’ve seen this transition from both sides of the classroom door.

The first thing I want to say is that getting ready for Reception is not about turning the summer into a training programme. Your child does not need to read, write or know their number bonds before they arrive. The everyday things you already do together, chatting, reading stories, playing, getting outside and letting them help with small jobs, are all supporting the skills they will use at school.

There are, however, a few practical skills that can make the early weeks feel easier. A Reception classroom is busy, and children often need to manage more for themselves than they do at home. Think of these as useful things to practise, not a checklist they must complete.

The practical skills worth practising:

• Using the toilet as independently as they can. This might include managing their clothes, wiping where possible, flushing and washing their hands.

• Getting dressed and undressed with less help, including putting on their coat, shoes and socks and having a go at zips or other fastenings.

• Opening and closing the things they will use, such as their water bottle, lunch box or snack pot.

• Using cutlery and drinking from the type of cup or bottle their school asks them to bring.

• Keeping track of simple belongings, putting things into their bag and carrying it when they are able.

• Recognising their written name so they can spot their peg, tray, jumper or book bag.

• Listening to a short story or simple instruction for a little while.

• Showing an adult when they need help, whether that is saying it, pointing, using a gesture or another way they already communicate.

• Taking turns in play and beginning to wait for a turn, even when waiting is deeply inconvenient because they wanted the red car immediately.

Not every child will be able to do all of these things before starting school. That does not mean they are not ready, or that they do not belong in Reception. Children develop at different rates. If there is something your child finds difficult, tell the school what they can manage and what support is helpful.

Practise through ordinary life

You do not need special resources or a colour coded timetable. Most of this can be woven into family life in small doses, ideally when nobody is already late and trying to leave the house.

Getting dressed

Let them have a go at choosing and putting on an outfit, then help only with the bits they genuinely need. You could turn it into a race with you, a teddy or a sibling, although I would avoid doing this five minutes before an appointment unless you enjoy living dangerously.

Trying on school uniform before the first day can help it feel familiar. Show them any fiddly buttons, where labels are and how to turn sleeves the right way round. Shoes that fasten simply are much easier for children to manage than beautiful ones that require an engineering qualification.

Food, drink and belongings

Ask your child to open their own water bottle or lunch box at home and practise putting everything back inside. Give them small jobs such as carrying their bag, finding their coat or packing a spare item. These ordinary routines help them learn what belongs to them and where it goes.

Name everything the school asks you to send in, including the items you cannot imagine anyone losing. Children are remarkably committed to proving us wrong on this.

Listening and following instructions

Games such as Simon Says are a simple way to practise listening. Start with one clear instruction, then try two linked steps if that feels manageable. Helping to cook, set the table or tidy toys also gives children a reason to listen and act without it feeling like a lesson.

Reception children are still very young. Being able to focus for a short time is useful. Sitting perfectly still for long periods is not the goal.

Recognising their name

They do not need to be able to write their name before school, but recognising its overall shape can be helpful. Write family names on separate pieces of paper and see if they can find theirs, spot it on labels or make it with magnetic letters. Keep it playful and stop when they have had enough.

Asking for help

This one deserves more attention than it often gets. Children need to know that the adults at school are there to help them. Talk about the things they might need help with and practise simple messages such as ‘I need the toilet’, ‘I don’t understand’, ‘I’ve lost my jumper’ or ‘I’m upset’.

If your child communicates in another way, help them practise showing a trusted adult what they need. You can also tell the school how they are most likely to ask for help, especially if they become quiet when they are unsure.

Building the muscles they will use for writing

There is no need to spend the summer correcting their pencil grip. Climbing, throwing, playdough, building with bricks, painting with water, drawing big shapes, cutting and sticking all help develop the strength and control that writing will eventually need.

If they are interested in letters and numbers, follow that interest through play. Count steps, spot numbers on doors, look for the first letter of their name or make a pretend shop. If they are not interested yet, that is fine too. Reception is where teachers will begin teaching these skills in a way that builds from where each child is.

Turn taking

We often tell children they must share, when what we really need them to learn is how to take turns and cope with waiting. Practise with simple games and useful phrases such as ‘I’m using this now, then you can have a turn’ or ‘Can I have a turn when you’re finished?’

That is more realistic than expecting a four year old to cheerfully hand over the toy they have just found, and it gives them words they can actually use in the classroom.

The part that matters most

The aim is not to send a perfectly polished child through the school gate. It is to help your child grow a little more confident with the ordinary parts of their day and to know that they can ask for help when something feels difficult.

Choose one or two things that would genuinely make life easier for them and practise those in small, low pressure ways. You do not need to squeeze a whole Reception readiness curriculum into the final weeks of summer. There will still be lost jumpers, inside out sleeves and water bottles that apparently require the strength of ten adults. That is all part of it.

Rachel x

More in this series: Starting Reception Part 2 - Helping Your Child Feel Emotionally Ready | Starting Reception Part 3 - The First Week: Routines, Goodbyes & Practical Tips



Further information: Department for Education guidance | Starting Reception guidance for families