This prime area of learning involves

• Helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others;
• To form positive relationships and develop respect for others;
• To develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings;
• To understand appropriate behaviour in groups;
To have confidence in their own abilities.

What you can do to help your child:

• Play turn taking and sharing games with your child. These can be very difficult concepts for children to learn. Give lots of praise when your child shares to encourage this positive behaviour. This could be playing a board game, or taking turns kicking a ball to each other.
• Talk about and name feelings with your child e.g. “I’m feeling cross because …” or “I’m feeling excited because we’re going to the park”. This will help children to understand their emotions and how to react.
• Talk about and explain rules and boundaries. Children need boundaries BUT need to understand the reason for them, e.g. we don’t throw blocks because it might hurt someone, but it is OK to throw balls outside. Recognising you have similar boundaries at home will help children settle at school.
• Encourage your child to tidy away their toys. They will be expected to help at school and it helps children learn about the value of caring for belongings and resources.