How To Prepare Your Child For Preschool In NZ

Starting preschool or daycare is a significant milestone for both children and parents. Preparing your child for this transition requires a thoughtful and proactive approach with careful planning to ensure a smooth transition. This guide will walk you through essential steps to ensure a smooth and positive experience for your child.

Early Childhood Education In New Zealand

Before jumping straight into enrolling your children in preschool, it helps to understand the ins and outs of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) system in New Zealand and how it works.

What Is ECE And How Does It Work?

Te Whāriki is the national curriculum framework for early learning and childhood education here in New Zealand. First developed in 1996 (revised in 2017) by the Ministry of Education, the framework emphasises a holistic approach to early learning, empowering children through play and fostering a strong sense of community and family values.

Te Whariki encourages learning centred around exploration and interaction to build problem-solving, communication, and social interaction skills in children aged 6 and under. It is not a formal school curriculum and does not address ‘subject based’ teaching in the way that you would expect from a traditional schooling environment.

Choosing The Right Preschool For Your Child

Deciding on a preschool can be tricky especially if there are more than 2 or 3 to choose from in you r area. For some people it can be a ‘gut feeling’ for others it might be location based, or maybe your child just fell in love with the place! Not sure? Here are a few things you can do when narrowing down your list of potential ECE centres.

• Visit Multiple ECE Centres. Depending on your location, it is likely you will have several different options for where to send your child. Scheduling visits ahead of time will allow you to freely observe the interactions between educators and children while taking in the overall atmosphere, and making return visits if necessary.
• Ask Questions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions when you visit; some examples might be inquiring about the centre’s philosophy, ratios, curriculum, staff qualifications and policies on health, safety, and communication.
• Consider Location And Hours. The benefits of choosing a centre that is conveniently located (near your home or workplace) are not to be underestimated. Travel times, wait times, and emergency response times (when your child is sick) are all going to matter over the longer term, especially when drop-off/pick-up times coincide with the centre's opening hours.

15 Steps To Prepare For Preschool

What should a child know before going to preschool? As a parent what can you do to make the transition easier? Building independence and self-help skills is a big part of preparing your child for preschool or daycare – see below for more things you can teach your child to make the transition to preschool much easier.

1. Get Toilet Training Started.  A big one for many children (of the appropriate age) attending preschool and daycare -  yes it's ok if you haven’t managed to get it sorted just yet, the educators and carers will be able to assist no matter what stage your child is at. However it is a good idea to begin working on this well in advance, as being in the home environment can make the process less stressful for many children.
2. Learn How To Get Dressed. Preschool is a great opportunity to get your child to practice putting on and taking off their own shoes, socks and jackets. Start off with these basics and move up to more difficult clothing items as time progresses.
3. Emphasise The Importance Of Handwashing. Knowing how and when to wash your hands is probably one of the first things to teach your child before they attend preschool. The importance of handwashing cannot be overstated, especially when trying to avoid common illnesses like colds and flu that tend to make their way around classrooms very quickly.
4. Teach Independent Eating Habits. Encouraging your child to use utensils and eat independently is also a very useful skill as the educators may not be able to sit with each child individually at meal times. This includes being able to open containers and packaging, use a spoon or fork to eat, and clean up after themselves.
5. Address Basic Social And Emotional Skills. Whether it's making time for social interaction, working on separation anxiety or emotional triggers, helping your child understand these basic life skills will make their transition to preschool much easier. This might include things like arranging playdates with other children to foster social skills like sharing and cooperation. Helping your child identify and express their emotions in a healthy way, or just understanding the concept of taking turns.
6. Build Communication Skills. In order to get the most out of preschool, your child will need to be able to express themselves verbally. This includes indicating needs and wants such as the desire to go to the toilet or being hungry, or wishing to play with a certain toy or wanting to do an activity. If your child can communicate well, they will be better understood by the education team, and their needs can be better accommodated.
7. Role Play It Out. It is common for children to struggle with changes in their routine, using role-playing to simulate common preschool situations, such as saying goodbye, driving past the preschool, playing with other children, and following instructions, can be a great way to get children used to new processes and daily interactions.
8. Establish The Basics. Teaching your child how to pack and unpack their own bag may seem unimportant, but it’s going to pay off in the future! Having your child be capable of packing their bag before leaving for preschool and unpacking when they get there will make things a lot easier for you and the educators, while also promoting a sense of responsibility for your child.
9. Create A Schedule And Display It! Even if your child isn’t old enough to understand, building a visual representation of what the day is going to look like (and sticking to it) will be helpful for everyone when getting used to the new routine, providing some certainty around what is expected. This will include nap times, when to wake up, and when to leave the house, plus small things like brushing your teeth and packing the bag. Use fun pictures and symbols for the best results and you could even apply stickers when the tasks are complete.
10. Familiarisation Of The ECE Centre. Arranging plenty of visits to the centre and working up to leaving your child ahead of the official start date is always recommended. This process will look a little different for each family depending on the child’s needs but generally, you will want to visit the centre together, meet with the educators, spend some time allowing your child to acclimatise to the new surroundings and interacting with some of the other children.
11. Prepare Prepare Prepare! Don’t let your child turn up without everything they need to make them feel comfortable. Label everything so they won't lose their stuff, pack a change of clothes (because accidents happen), don’t forget the sunscreen, and let them take their favourite toy or cuddle blanket if that’s what they want! It doesn’t hurt to create a special goodbye ritual too such as a special hug or kiss!
12. Communication Is Key! Maintaining open communication with the educators at your chosen centre is great for sharing information and addressing any concerns. Always provide the centre with up-to-date health information, including any allergies or medical conditions. And don’t forget to acknowledge and celebrate your child's progress and achievements together!
13. Introduce Te Reo Māori. While it is not necessary to fully understand Māori words, ECE Centres do incorporate Māori language and cultural aspects through the use of terms and phrases, songs and practices, so it would be a good idea to introduce these concepts to your child before they attend preschool.
14. Building Strong Partnerships. Your participation in your child's preschool care and education doesn’t end when you drop them off. Attending parent meetings, centre events, and outings are necessary to build a strong partnership with the centre, the educators and other families – make the most of thee opportunities!
15. Create A Positive Buzz! Most importantly, when talking to your child about starting preschool, when visiting, and even when driving by - always speak and act with a positive and reassuring attitude. Emphasise the fun and exciting aspects and how great it will be to engage in the activities on offer and meet new friends.

How To Enrol At An ECE

All children between the ages of 0 and 6 can enrol at early childhood education centres in New Zealand. To enrol you will need to contact the intended centre directly and they will make their enrolment practices known to you.

When your child enrols with an early learning service, they will be allocated a National Student Number (NSN) from the Ministry of Education which will become their unique number for their entire journey through the NZ education system.

It is advisable to arrange a visit to your chosen centre prior to signing up to get an idea of the style and setup and whether it will suit your child. Each individual centre will have different fees, hours and opening hours. Once you have made your decision about enrolling in a child care centre, it pays to sign up as soon as possible, as many will have lengthy waiting lists.

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We hope this article has helped you gain a better understanding of how to prepare your child for preschool or daycare to set them up for a successful and supportive transition. If you are looking for preschool services for your child in Christchurch, Darfield, Rangiora, or West Melton, visit Annabel’s Educare today!

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