30/10/2025
This time of year often brings questions for families about whether their child is 'Prep ready'. Lady Gowrie Queensland have shared some helpful questions to ask, which may assist in deciding if your child is ready for Prep.
At this time of the year, early childhood teachers are often approached by families asking whether their child is ready for Prep. Rather than looking at number recognition or writing their name, we encourage a holistic approach.
All children have different needs, interests and motivations, so each child’s transition to Prep will be unique. Families might consider:
1. Does the child seek help when needed, with both tasks and emotions?
2. How confident are they in approaching familiar adults and friends?
3. Are they able to respect boundaries, people and environments?
4. How keen are they do give new things a go?
5. What strategies help them to regulate their emotions when things get
tough?
6. Are they able to follow multi-step instructions?
7. Do they show independence and self-help skills as part of their daily
routine?
8. How easily does the child initiate play, or enter established play?
Your child’s Kindergarten teacher can help answer any questions you may have about your child’s readiness. The Queensland government also has a range of helpful information and resources available to assist families and educators in supporting children in their transition to school. These can be found at the following websites.
https://loom.ly/FE6cxuA
https://loom.ly/L3NOXnc