What should a child know before starting school?

June 30, 2023

It is becoming increasingly more common that a three-year child already knows how to use a tablet, but in many cases still has a problem at the age of six to get dressed by itself or tie its shoe laces. What can be done about this? Do you want your child to do better? To be prepared for school and not have to struggle with this new milestone in life? Because we, too, are parents, we advise getting children involved in ordinary activities at home, leave them to have time for perfect a certain task and to offer them meaningful toys.

In this article we have summarised what a child should generally know how to do before starting school, and above all provide tips of how to educate a child in an entertaining way with our toys.

Practising fine motor skills while tying shoelaces

Skills of a pre-schooler

Speech – the child can speak in sentences and simpler phrases, should be able to describe its experiences and the world around it. It should know how to introduce itself and to say hello.
More accurate gross and fine motor skills – be able to jump, throw, stop, change direction when moving, thread beads, cut paper, …
Development of analytical thinking – the child understands relationships, connections, differences and similarities between elements. Be able to categorise, generalise, and understand cause and effect.
Graphomotor skills, drawing – the child can copy basic shapes, draw figures containing important elements.
Logical thinking – it can guess at least one simple puzzle.
Be able to concentrate for at least 5 to 10 minutes.
Social maturity – the child can also spend time with other people than with parents, can cooperate with other children, share and respect rules.
More realistic understanding of the world – distinguish its ideas and wishes from what is real.
Observe hygiene habits.
Spatial orientation – a pre-schooler can describe what is forwards, backwards, let and right.
Self-management – be able to partially control its behaviour and emotions, learn to cope with frustration.

Learning the clock with the help of the clock face

How do our toys help children prepare for school?

Houses

Thanks to the great number of elements the wooden house is an ideal toy to prepare for schools. For example, a child can practise its graphomotor skills on the board and, when playing with the door and windows, its analytical thinking as well as being able to constantly exercise its fingers doing all the activities. In addition, several children can play with the house at the same time thereby strengthening their social interaction.

Motor skills toys

Motor skills toys, whether this is Pikler’s triangles, swings, slides or climbing sets, not only exercise gross motor skills and naturally create a positive attitude towards sport, but are also an excellent way of developing social interaction. For example, children must learn to wait before it is their turn to play.

Interactive cubes and boards

Playing with latches and gear wheels on interactive cubes and boards gets the child to perfect its fine motor skills, practise its concentration, patience and also develop analytical thinking.

Learning tower

The learning tower is inspired by the Montessori principles of education and its motto is: “Help me do it myself”. The learning tower is important in teaching independence and strengthening social maturity (so that the child can already manage many activities without the help of its parents).