logo-retina (2)
  • Our Services
    • Intensive Therapy Programs
    • Physiotherapy
    • Occupational Therapy
    • Speech Language Pathology
    • Exercise Physiology
    • DMIT/CME Therapy
    • Aquatic Therapy
    • Suiting
    • Telehealth/Out of Clinic
    • Key Worker Model
  • Conditions
    • Neurological Conditions
    • Neurodiversity
    • Cerebral Palsy & Movement Disorders
    • Genetic Conditions
    • Developmental Delays
    • Epilepsy Syndromes
    • ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
    • ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
    • Speech and Language Difficulties
    • Auditory and Vision Impairment
    • Sensory Processing
    • Plagiocephaly and Torticollis
    • Sports and Musculoskeletal Injuries
  • Therapy Tools
    • Intensive Therapy Programs
    • Suiting
    • DMIT (Dynamic Movement Intervention Therapy)
    • CIMT (Contraint Induced Movement Therapy)
    • Partial Support Weight Bearing
    • Hypervibe
    • Spider Cage
    • Treadmill
    • Functional Electrical Stimulation
    • Serial Casting/Kinesio Taping/Splinting
    • LusioMate
    • AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication)
    • SOS Feeding
    • DIR/Floortime Model
    • Hanen® Approach
  • About Us
    • Inspiring Potential For All
    • Our Team
    • FAQS
    • Fact Sheets
    • Careers
    • Deb’s Blog
  • NDIS Funding
  • Enquire Now

Preparing for the transition from daycare to school

Transitioning from daycare to preschool is one of the biggest milestones in any family and at TFK we feel that supporting children to make this transition successfully helps set the foundation for a lifetime of learning.

All the people in your child’s life have a part to play in helping your child successfully navigate this milestone, whether it is the early childhood, preschool, therapist, and carers.

Five skills needed by your child to make this transition:

  • Concentration & attention
  • Concepts – colour/shape/number
  • Self-care tasks
  • Fine motor skills
  • Social skills

Today I’ll talk about concentration and attention.

  • Attention is the ability to gain and maintain focus on a task.
  • When your child is concentrating, they can screen out external stimuli in order to engage in the task at hand.
  •   If your child can maintain attention, they can engage for long enough to repeat and this is necessary for learning any new skill.
  •  Attention allows a child to follow 2 step instructions.

How long should a 4-5 year old concentrate?

Child development experts say 4-5 year olds should be able to concentrate for 2-5 mins x their age. So you can expect your child to concentrate for between 8-25 minutes, maybe more, depending on their interest and the task. This is variable depending on:

  • Time of day
  • Distractions
  • Whether it is before a nap
  • The complexity of the task
  •  If it’s motivating to your child

Dr Neal Rojas M.D., a developmental paediatrician from the University of California says, “I tell [parents] that they will see a variation throughout the day.” “Attention span is elastic.”

Ways to help develop attention:

  • Start with 1 step instructions and get your child to repeat it back to you.
  • Play games with multiple steps, encourage your child, help set the rules.
  • Limit noise and distraction when first introducing new skills.
  • Keep increasing your child’s understanding of language (receptive language). This gives them the tools to understand new expectations and information.
  • Gain eye contact when you are making requests.
  • Use simple language and model (show) your child if necessary.

deas to help:

  • Strengthening of muscles – particularly core and arms/hands.
    • Wheelbarrow walks
    • Animal walks
    • Riding tricycle/bike/scooter
    • Swings
    • Playing with playdough
    • Ball skills
    • Wearing backpack in preparation for school
  • Schedules – to help prepare your child to understand what will happen next and help them be organised for the change.
    • Draw on a white board a plan of activities
    • Introduce an egg timer or give them a countdown
    • Write a list with them or use photos
  • Focused activities
    • Sorting objects by category (e.g. colour, shape, etc.)
    • Puzzles
    • Card games
    • Board games
  • Slowly increase distractions
    • Start doing tasks in silence
    • Limit distractions
    • Give attention to get attention – use creativity to interest your child in activities
    • Begin introducing white noise (e.g. static or radio)
    • Then classical music and commercials/talk back radio
    • Work up to being able to quietly converse with someone while your child finishes a task or get them to help with a task (e.g. unpack the dishwasher) while talking about the day.

Signs of poor attention:

  • Inability to focus on one activity
  • Gets bored before completing a task
  • Difficulty listening if any distractions
  • Problems with following instructions
  • May have trouble processing and remembering information
  • Fidgeting
  • Unable to sit still to finish an activity or listen to a book being read

When should I look for help?

  • If your child is anxious about doing some activities that require concentration
  • If they find it difficult to attend to a task for more than a few minutes
  • If they can’t play with their peers in small groups
  • If they find it difficult to follow 2 step instructions

If your child is having difficulty with attention:

  • Seek medical advice/speak to their teacher at preschool
  • Have an assessment done by an occupational therapist or speech pathologist

Keep safe, happy, and well,

Deb

Our Services
  • Intensive Therapy Programs
  • Physiotherapy
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Speech Language Pathology
  • Exercise Physiology
  • DMIT/CME Therapy
  • Aquatic Therapy
  • Suiting
  • Telehealth/Out of Clinic
  • Key Worker Model
Subscribe to receive updates on new blog posts

    Therapies For Kids Instagram

    Coming Coming Coming Coming Coming Coming Coming Coming Coming

    Related Posts
    bf6d9810-b097-4bf9-8344-9dc120f0414f-1024x768
    First Riverina Clinic intensive

    A very different milestone this week for fun. This week is a milestone for TFK as we will be running…

    Read More
    19-300x300
    Intensive Paediatric Therapy – helping Amelia reach her goals

    Research in childhood disability has identified six F-words that should be the focus for development. These include Function, Family, Fitness,…

    Read More
    Handwriting
    Handwriting

    What is it? Handwriting is a complex task that involves the successful use of cognitive, motor, visual motor, visual perception…

    Read More
    Deb's Blog Subscriber to receive updates on new blog posts

      Group 1
      Our Services
      • Intensive Therapy Programs
      • Physiotherapy
      • Occupational Therapy
      • Speech Language Pathology
      • Exercise Physiology
      • DMIT/CME Therapy
      • Aquatic Therapy
      • Suiting
      • Telehealth/Out of Clinic
      • Key Worker Model
      Conditions
      • Neurological Conditions
      • Cerebral Palsy & Movement Disorders
      • Genetic Conditions
      • Developmental Delays
      • ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
      • Speech and Language Difficulties
      • Sports and Musculoskeletal Injuries
      • Auditory and Vision Impairment
      • Sensory Processing
      Contact Us

      (02) 9519 0966

      155 Balmain Rd, Leichhardt NSW 2040 Australia

      L1 | 370 Norton Street Lilyfield NSW 2040 Australia

      91 Larmer Street Narrandera NSW 2700 Australia

      © Therapies For Kids 2023 | Privacy Policy
      Therapies For Kids acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live and work We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging