Kindy to Prep Transition Program

Providing a helping hand to families as their child transitions into full time schooling commitments.

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Kindy to Prep Transition Program

The transition from kindergarten to prep is a big step in a child’s life and can be a challenging time for children and families. You may find yourself wondering if your child has the physical skills required to transition well and thrive at school.
What physical skills do children need for school?
There are several physical attributes children require to thrive at school. These include:

Upper body and core strength:

Prep sees the beginning of formal learning which, unlike kindergarten, involves sitting on the floor or at a desk for extended periods. This requires adequate core stability to allow the child to sit with a straight back unsupported. It also provides the foundations to build fine motor skills such as handwriting.

Ball skills and coordination:

School is also a time when children begin to play different sports both at school and for club teams. This requires basic gross motor and coordination skills such as:
·       Running
·       Jumping
·       Hopping
·       Ball skills – throwing, catching, kicking a ball

Lower body strength:

Schools often have multiple slopes and stairs that children have to negotiate throughout the day, requiring adequate lower limb strength. Children also require lower body strength to use playground equipment to allow participation with peers during lunch breaks.
Basic ball skills such as throwing, catching and kicking to allow for participation with peers during PE classes and during lunch breaks.

Fine motor control:

Fine motor control is important for not only for handwriting but also tasks such as dressing (doing up buttons) and putting on shoes and socks. Once children start school there is the expectation that they start to become more independent with these tasks.

Vector Health are offering a weekly program throughout the Kindergarten year to be provided on site at the Kindergarten. Sessions would be 20 minutes in duration with small groups of 3-4 children. The sessions would be a variety of high level balance, gross and fine motor, balance and coordination exercises to address the physical requirements mentioned above.

Prior to commencing the classes, there is the option to have your child assessed one on one by a physiotherapist to determine if there are any particular deficits that require addressing.

If you are wanting your child to attend this type of program outside of a kindy setting we do offer this in clinic either 1-1 or a group setting.

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