School readiness checklist for prep, kindy and reception

School readiness is about whether your child can manage the day: looking after their own things, getting along with others, coping with big feelings, listening to a teacher and having a go at new tasks. It's much broader than knowing letters and numbers. The checklist below covers self-care, fine motor, communication, social-emotional and attention skills, with notes on when it's worth getting support before your child starts prep, kindy, reception or whatever your state calls the first year of school.

What your state calls the first year of school

The Australian Curriculum calls the first year of school Foundation, but each state and territory uses its own name for it.^[] Watch out for "kindy". In New South Wales and the ACT, kindergarten is the first year of school. In Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania, kindergarten is the year before school.^[]

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics.^[] Check the current rules with your state or territory education department, as they can change.

Readiness is broad, not academic

Researchers at the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne describe the older idea of readiness, a child reaching a certain age or skill level, as too limited. Readiness also depends on families, early childhood services, communities and schools being ready to support each child.^[] In other words, a school that adapts to your child counts as much as your child adapting to school.

When teachers complete the national Australian Early Development Census in the first year of school, they look at five areas: physical health and wellbeing, social competence, emotional maturity, language and thinking skills, and communication and general knowledge.^[] Literacy is one part of one area. In the first year, children learn through experimenting, practising and playing, and reading and writing are taught there.^[]

No child ticks every box. Use the list to spot what to practise over the coming months and anything worth checking with a professional.

Self-care

By about 5, most children can:^[][][]

• Go to the toilet on their own, including wiping and washing hands
• Dress and undress themselves, including shoes. Buckles or velcro they can do up alone make life easier while laces are still being learnt
• Open their own lunchbox, food packets and drink bottle
• Use a spoon and fork, and sometimes a knife
• Keep track of their bag, hat and jumper
• Ask an adult for help when they need it

Practise with the actual uniform, shoes, lunchbox and drink bottle before day one. A picnic lunch at home is an easy rehearsal.^[]

Fine motor and physical skills

NSW Health occupational therapists suggest it helps if a child starting school can:^[]

• Hold a pencil with some control, using the same hand each time
• Draw a picture you can recognise, such as a person with a head, body, arms and legs^[]
• Cut along a line or around a simple shape
• Have a go at writing their name
• Sit at a table with enough strength and posture to work for a short time
• Run, climb and throw a ball in the playground

Physical readiness also includes having the energy for a full school day. That makes sleep part of the checklist. Try to settle a regular bedtime and wake-up time, even on weekends, in the weeks before school.^[][]

Communication

By around 5 years, most children:^[][]

• Speak clearly enough that you can understand them all the time
• Use full sentences and can tell you about their day
• Follow instructions with several steps, like "put your bag away, wash your hands and sit on the mat"
• Ask questions and say how they feel
• Enjoy stories, rhymes and jokes

Our speech and language milestones for 5-year-olds go into more detail on what's typical, including early sound and rhyme skills that help with reading.

Social and emotional skills

At 4 to 6 years, children are learning to:^[][]

• Play with other children, take turns and share, even if favourite toys are still hard
• Follow simple rules in games and group routines
• Say sorry and try to get along
• Name feelings, with help for big ones like frustration or jealousy
• Manage their feelings better than a year ago, with fewer tantrums
• Separate from you at drop-off without long-lasting distress

Some worry about starting school is normal at this age.^[] For support with big feelings, see our page on emotional regulation.

Attention and learning

By 5 to 6 years, children usually:^[][]

• Pay attention to an activity for longer than they used to
• Follow simple class-style routines, like packing up or sitting for a story
• Know their full name and age
• Show interest in books, letters and numbers, without needing to read yet

When to seek support

The checklist is a guide. Raising Children Network suggests seeing your GP or child and family health nurse if your 5-year-old:^[]

• Has trouble seeing or hearing things
• Can't understand instructions with several steps, or has trouble having a conversation
• Doesn't play with other children, or acts in a very aggressive way
• Seems afraid, unhappy or sad a lot of the time
• Is easily distracted and can't concentrate on any single activity for more than a few minutes
• Is clumsy, finds it hard to use a pencil or crayon, or has trouble drawing shapes like circles or squares
• Has difficulty eating, dressing or using the toilet
• Has lost skills they once had

Depending on the concern, your GP might suggest a speech pathologist for talking and understanding, an occupational therapist for self-care and fine motor skills, or a psychologist for worries, big feelings or attention. If anxiety is part of the picture, our guide to childhood anxiety and when to get help may help.

If your child has a disability, ADHD or other additional needs, talk to the school as early as possible. Enrolling early gives the school time to plan supports, and a transition plan written with teachers and therapists can make the first weeks smoother. Occupational therapy can also help build independence with shoes, clothing, lunchboxes and school bags.^[]

Next steps

Two skills worth a closer look are pencil grip and fine motor skills.

Pick the two or three items your child is furthest from and practise them through everyday routines over the next few months. Share anything you're unsure about with your child's early childhood educator, who sees them in a group setting every week. And if you'd like to talk it through, you can send Hey Sprout an enquiry.