Getting into a school in Egypt has become every person’s biggest anxiety. Most schools expect your child to already have the education and skills they should be acquiring at school. This has become not only frustrating for parents but also too much pressure and anxiety for kids.
Imperial College Egypt (ICE) is one of the very few schools in the country that does things differently and has a more logical approach and understanding during school assessments. In fact, at ICE, school assessments are conducted to ensure that the child is following the growth and development stages of their age to ensure that they will be able to acquire the knowledge and skills that the school has to offer.
At every age, a child has certain milestones that they should develop. That’s why the first five years of a child’s life are crucial for their development and will help create the foundation that a child needs to prosper. At the age of 4 when a child starts conducting school interviews, there are certain academic skills they should have acquired that show that they are ready for school.
As a parent, if you want to ensure your child is ready for pre-school, here are a few academic skills your child should have. However, Imperial College Egypt ensures that the academics part is not nearly as important or essential as the milestones children should develop in terms of motor skills, social skills as well as mental and emotional skills.
Sings ABCs
Via: Sings with Simon
Reciting the ABCs is one of the first things a child can do, even before they can speak in full sentences. Songs are a great way to enhance your child’s speech and hearing skills in a fun way. When a child can sing along with the ABC song, it shows that their auditory and memory skills are at the level where they are ready to take in new information in a creative learning environment such as Imperial College Egypt.
Writes his/her name
Via: kids activities blog
Holding a pencil properly is a motor skill that most children don’t develop until they go to school. However, holding a crayon is a lot easier for a child before the age of 4 as it is easier to grip and smoother to use. During that year, children start learning how to write their names with interactive activities. According to Ms. Dina, Imperial College Egypt’s Stage Head (Pre-school to Year 3), some of the activities that parents and children can do together to practice writing their names include:
- Tracing over dotted lines
- Creating a name puzzle to enhance their visual skills of the letters in their names.
- Finger paint on letters of their name
- Use chalk or an eraser board to allow them to easily make mistakes
These activities should be done in a positive environment in the form of play while providing verbal instructions when writing letters and always praising their achievement.
Identifies most letters
When a child starts grabbing objects and pointing, it is a great way to start using educational building blocks to help your child get familiar with letters. Using educational toys such as building blocks, puzzles, tracing, coloring letters, and even fun educational apps and games, a child should start developing their academic and visual skills to be able to identify most letters of the alphabet. However, Imperial College Egypt stress on the importance of not pressuring your child and helping them identify the letters in a fun, interactive manner without pressuring them. Each child is different and while some children might be able to identify all 26 letters, others might only be able to follow and trace a few letters.
Counts from 0-10
Counting is one of the easiest things a child acquires as it can be used in everyday life. Before a child enters school, most children will be able to count from 0-10 with the aid of fingers if needed.
Ms. Dina explain that during a school assessment, children could be asked to count certain objects out loud. While counting comes easily, some children might be able to start developing their motor skills and write a few numbers, too. This can be done with similar activities such as the ones used in letters or even by using numerical apps and building blocks to help train your child visually as well.
Just remember that it’s the school’s job to teach your child beyond these skills and not overwhelm them with more than their brains can take at such a young age. These skills are needed to help train the brain to reach its learning ability and ensure your child is ready for school.
Further reading:
- Motor and Sensory Skills Your Child Should Acquire Before a School Assessment
- How to Prepare Your Child for School Assessments
- Parenting: How to Raise Compassionate and Kind-Hearted Children
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