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Let’s Get Ready for School

A 'Starting School' Booklist.

Introduction

Starting school can be a very exciting time, but it can sometimes also be challenging for some children. Preparing your little one for school will have a positive impact on how well they settle in, how they interact with other children and adults and how ready they are to learn.

 

Your little one may be excited about starting ‘big’ school, but it might also feel a bit daunting for them at the same time. So, by preparing them for this experience, you will have a positive impact on how well they settle, how easily they make connections with other children and adults, and how ready they are to learn. You play an important role in helping your little one to be ready for this important step, and reading stories about starting school is a great way to do that.

 

All the books listed in the booklist below are available to borrow free from your local libraries in Southend. If you do want to buy any of them for yourself, they are available from most bookshops and from Amazon.

‘Let’s Get Ready for School’ bags

A Better Start Southend (ABSS) have created ‘Let’s Get Ready for School’ bags, which contain stories about starting school, games to do together, and some ‘Top Tips’ on ways to help your little one’s transition to ‘big school’. Let’s Get Ready for School bags can be borrowed from all Southend Libraries.

Join a Library

Your child can become a member of the library from birth. Get your little one a library card as soon as possible, so they can benefit from lots of different stories. Library membership is free, and it's quick and easy to join - just visit your local library or apply online.

Southend Libraries

A Starting School Booklist

Pip and Me Go to School
by ABSS Parents

This is a story book written by local parents as part of the A Better Start Southend (ABSS) Project. Pip was the ABSS mascot, and this book focuses on Pip starting school. It explores topics like separation from parent/carer, new experiences and the roller-coaster of emotions your child might feel on that first day at school.

Starting School
by Janet & Allan Ahlberg

This traditional story follows a group of children from their first day of school through to the end of the autumn term. It sees them on their first day, second day, first week and then celebrating Christmas.

All Are Welcome
by Alexandra Penfold & Suzanne Kaufman

A joyful celebration of a school community, focusing on how a community of children with a wide range of backgrounds and abilities come together to create a welcoming place for everyone. It is a great first book for talking to your child about different families and what their friends at school might be like.

When a Dragon Goes to School
by Caryl Hart & Rosalind Beardshaw

This fun little rhyming story follows a dragon through his first day at school. It’s ideal for explaining what behaviour is and isn’t okay at school, in a gentle and fun way.

Mooncat and me
by Lydia Corry

This story is about a little girl, Pearl, who has moved to a new city and is starting a new school. She is anxious about all the change, but a mysterious giant cat visits her and stays by her side, giving her the confidence to explore her new city and tackle her first day at a new school.

Mouse's Big Day
by Lydia Monks

This book is about a mouse, that is reluctant to go to school. It explores those first-day nerves while not making school seem scary. Anything Mouse is asked to do, she replies she doesn’t want to. That is until the end of the school day, she finds that she is actually enjoying herself and doesn’t want to go home!

The Invisible String
by Patrice Karst

This book is especially good if your little one is not used to being away from you for very long and school is the first time they won’t see you for most of the day. It helps explain how love works even when we are not actually together, and will help support little ones who have any separation anxiety.

The Worrysaurus
by Rachel Bright and Chris Chatterton

The Worrysaurus worries about everything and likes to plan ahead. The Worrysaurus thinks about everything before setting out to enjoy a lovely picnic. It is not long before the overthinking gets out of control and a suggestion from a similarly nervous lizard feeds his anxieties, just as can happen when children share worries with each other.
But then the Worrysaurus remembers his mother’s advice and feels better!
This lovely story is not specifically focused on starting school, but it will be very useful if you have a child who is a worrier!

Why do I have to go to school?
by Katie Daynes

From forming friendships to learning new skills, join a lively bunch of children as they discover what school is about and how to make the most of it. With delightful illustrations, inventive flaps and gentle humour, this book will help boost your child’s confidence and calm any school nerves.

Come to School Too, Blue Kangaroo
by Emma Chichester Clark

This is a lovely story for all children about to start a new school. Lily is nervous about starting a new school but luckily, she has Blue Kangaroo to help her. Blue Kangaroo is really looking forward to all the things that he and Lily can do at school. With his support, Lily finds she does like school after all. And so does Blue Kangaroo!

I Am Too Absolutely Small for School
by Lauren Child

A classic Charlie and Lola picture book. This story explores some of the starting school worries that many children have, and this book has lots of fun illustrations and gentle humour included.

Whiffy Wilcon: The Wolf who wouldn't go to school
by Caryl Hart and Leonie Lord

This positive story explores the concerns of a little wolf called Whiffy, who doesn’t know how to hold a pen and has never looked in a book, and so he doesn’t want to go to school. Fortunately, his friend Dotty is on hand to show him that it is ok and that school is actually lots of fun and it is ok not to know everything!

Starting Reception

Starting Reception has been created by a range of early years organisations working together to help parents, carers, and early years professionals, to be able to support young children to be ready to start school and ready to learn.
It gives parents ideas for activities they can do at home to support the development of their child’s personal, social, emotional and physical skills. Practising these at home will make your child’ s transition to reception class as positive as possible.

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