How to Help Your Child Get Ready for First Grade: 10 Essential Skills to Foster at Home

Getting ready for first grade marks a meaningful step in your child’s growth. Moving from the play-based world of preschool into the new rhythms of primary school brings fresh experiences, from following class routines to exploring early academics. With gentle support, most children adapt naturally and even look forward to these changes.

That’s why preparation is about more than just new books or school supplies. It’s about fostering confidence, building everyday skills, and offering steady encouragement. At international schools like La Petite Ecole Ho Chi Minh, when children are supported at home and in class, they can step into a bilingual environment with curiosity and joy, growing both academically and emotionally.

What does a child really need to be ready for first grade? It’s a common question among parents, and the answer often goes beyond school supplies. The move from preschool to primary is not a sudden leap, but rather a natural progression that builds on what children have already experienced in their final year of Kindergarten.

As children enter Grade 1, they gradually become familiar with:

• A more structured daily schedule while still enjoying time for play and creativity
• Expanding their early skills in reading, writing, maths, and memory through engaging lessons.
• Forming new social connections with teachers and classmates in a bigger learning community
• Taking small steps toward independence, such as packing their bag, organizing materials, or managing lunchtime on their own

Without thoughtful preparation and emotional support, some children may feel overwhelmed, anxious, or even lose interest in learning during those crucial first weeks.

This is especially true in dynamic urban centers like Ho Chi Minh City, where primary school programs can be academically demanding and diverse. That’s why it’s essential for parents to play a proactive role: gently but consistently guiding their child to feel excited, safe, and confident about entering this new stage of learning.

Getting your child ready for first grade involves much more than early reading or maths drills. It’s about laying a strong foundation for learning, independence, and classroom readiness. Below are 10 helpful school-readiness skills that can gently support your child in having a confident and joyful start to primary school.

1. Know How to Use Basic School Supplies

Before starting school, children should be familiar with essential classroom tools such as:

• Pencils, erasers, rulers, scissors (child-safe)
• Pencil cases and folders
• Zipping and unzipping their backpack
• Organizing notebooks and supplies in the right places

These aren’t just fine motor skills, they build early responsibility and help children avoid classroom stress like losing items, missing tools, or feeling unprepared.

Encouraging your child to take care of their own supplies fosters pride in their learning and reduces unnecessary confusion during the first few weeks.

2. Understand and Follow Classroom Rules

Children already learn and practice classroom rules in preschool, and these continue into primary school with only a few small adjustments. The rules remain familiar so children feel secure, but may be adapted for a larger class setting or to encourage more independence. Some important rules your child will continue to follow include:

• Sitting in their assigned seat or designated learning space when needed
• Raising their hand before sharing in a group discussion
• Listening attentively when the teacher or a classmate is speaking
• Respecting their classmates’ space and focus

You can role-play a classroom at home and practice how to respond in real situations, such as being called on, asking to go to the toilet, or taking turns during group activities.

3. Get Familiar with Letters and Pre-Writing Skills

Instead of jumping straight into the first-grade curriculum, it helps to build on the strong literacy foundations from preschool, so your child enters primary school with confidence. Key foundations include:

• Recognizing uppercase and lowercase letters
• Identifying beginning and ending sounds in simple words
• Experimenting with letter-like shapes and starting to write their own name in playful ways (for example, tracing, using magnetic letters, or drawing in sand)

Along with these foundations, preschool helps children develop habits like holding a pencil correctly and sitting with good posture while writing. Carrying these habits into primary school makes longer writing tasks easier. 

Above all, parents don’t need to add new lessons, simply encourage light, enjoyable practice so reading and writing continue to feel natural and fun.

4. Understand Simple Maths Concepts

In most international preschools, children are already introduced to early maths through games and daily routines. By the time they reach first grade, they are usually able to:

• Count from 1 to 10 (sometimes up to 20)
• Recognise and compare sizes such as big/small or more/less
• Identify basic shapes like circles, squares, and triangles
• Explore simple addition and subtraction in playful ways, such as sharing toys or snacks

At home, parents don’t need to reteach these concepts, but light practice helps children carry these skills smoothly into first grade. Simple activities such as playing board games with dice, measuring ingredients while cooking, or grouping objects into patterns keep maths fun and familiar.

These experiences strengthen logical thinking, problem-solving, and number confidence, so when your child begins formal maths lessons in primary school, they already feel capable and ready to engage.

5. Practice Personal Independence in Daily Tasks

One of the most valuable ways to prepare your child for first grade is to help them become more independent in their daily routine. This includes:

• Dressing independently, including handling buttons, zippers, and school uniforms
• Packing and carrying their own backpack with books or water bottle
• Tidying up their toys, art supplies, or play area after activities
• Helping with household tasks such as setting the table, watering plants, or folding small laundry items
• Taking care of personal belongings, like keeping shoes together or putting pencils back in a case

When a child can care for themselves in everyday situations, they are less reliant on teachers, more confident, and more focused on learning.

6. Build Focus and Attention Over Fixed Periods

In first grade, children gradually move into longer and more guided learning times. However, international schools still integrate play-based approaches, where play evolves into more structured activities. Instead of sitting still for long lessons, children practise focus in short, meaningful bursts of 15–20 minutes, often through hands-on or playful tasks.

At home, you can nurture this by:

• Setting up short activities like colouring, puzzle building, or storytelling
• Gradually extending the time spent on each activity
• Choosing games that require turn-taking, patience, or following simple rules

The aim is not to force long concentration, but to gently build your child’s stamina while keeping learning enjoyable. This way, they enter the classroom already comfortable with paying attention, participating, and engaging in a positive way.

7. Encourage Communication and Asking for Help

As children start first grade, it’s important they feel confident communicating and expressing themselves and asking for help when needed. Encourage your child to say things like:

• “I don’t understand yet.”
• “Can you help me, please?”
• “I need to go to the bathroom.”

Simple classroom phrases and polite requests help children feel empowered rather than frustrated or shy.

Also, practicing greetings, polite responses, and how to start a conversation with a new friend can make it easier for your child to feel connected and safe in their new environment.

8. Practicing Social Skills in Daily Life

By the time children reach primary school, they have usually already developed key social habits in preschool, such as sharing, taking turns, and respecting others during play. In the classroom, these skills continue to grow through group reading, collaborative projects, and class discussions.

At home, parents can gently reinforce what children have already learned by:

• Playing board games that involve turn-taking
• Encouraging siblings or friends to share toys and materials
• Practicing active listening during family conversations

These everyday moments help children feel more confident in group settings and strengthen their sense of fairness, empathy, and cooperation.

9. Practise Courtesy and Appropriate Behavior

Basic manners go a long way in helping a child make a good impression on teachers and classmates. Children should know how to:

• Say “please,” “thank you,” and “excuse me”
• Apologize when they’ve made a mistake
• Ask for permission politely

These are small gestures with big impact, forming the basis of positive relationships and emotional intelligence. Role-playing daily situations at home can make these behaviors feel natural and automatic.

10. Develop Teamwork and a Spirit of Cooperation

Modern first-grade classrooms place a strong emphasis on collaboration. Children are often asked to work together, share ideas, and complete small tasks as a team.

To support this, teach your child how to:

• Cooperate with others on a shared goal
• Listen actively to different opinions
• Compromise when there’s disagreement

Teamwork isn’t learned overnight. You can build this skill through everyday family life, doing chores together, playing group games, or joining weekend clubs where your child interacts with peers outside the classroom.

While developing school-readiness skills is crucial, what truly helps your child feel excited, confident, and comfortable during their first weeks of school is a supportive home environment. Through small, consistent habits and activities, parents can ease the transition and build positive feelings about learning.

Here are 6 practical and heartwarming ways to help your child get ready for first grade naturally and joyfully.

1. Read School-Themed Bedtime Stories

Sharing a bedtime story is a beautiful way to bond with your child, and also a gentle way to introduce them to the idea of school. Books like “My First Day at School” or “What’s Fun About First Grade?” help your child imagine what school is like: meeting new friends, having a teacher, and discovering new routines.

Through colourful pages and simple storytelling, your child will begin to see school as a safe, fun, and exciting place to be.

Read more: 10 Benefits of Reading Books for Kids

2. Help Your Child Feel Comfortable with Their School

Whether your child is staying at the same school or moving to a new one, the transition to first grade can bring new routines and a sense of excitement mixed with uncertainty. Familiarity helps ease this process.

• For children in the same school: Remind them of familiar places such as the playground, the library, or their old classroom area. At the same time, talk about the new experiences awaiting them in first grade, like meeting a new teacher or joining new activities.
• If your child is moving to a new school: One of the biggest reasons children feel unprepared for school is the sense of unfamiliarity. Try walking or driving by the new school and pointing out the school gate, the playground, the classroom area, the library, or the cafeteria. If the school offers an orientation or discovery session, let your child attend. When children get a chance to see and experience the space beforehand, they start to view it not as an unknown place, but as their new learning and play environment. With this sense of connection, the first day of school feels far less intimidating and much more exciting.

Knowing what to expect helps children feel more secure and confident when starting this new stage.

3. Practice with the School Uniform and Backpack

Whether the uniform is brand new or just a bigger size than last year’s, let your child try it on at home. Encourage them to dress themselves, wear it for a few hours, and get used to zipping up their backpack. You can even make it fun by packing a pretend lunch or favourite book.

This small routine not only builds excitement about moving up to first grade but also strengthens independence with daily self-care tasks.

4. Let Your Child Choose Their Own School Supplies

When children get to choose their own school items, like a backpack, pencil case, water bottle, or lunch box, they feel involved and respected. Let them pick colours, characters, or patterns they love. Ask questions like:

• “What made you choose this one?”
• “Do you think this will be fun to use every day?”

These small choices give them a sense of ownership and excitement about going to school with things that feel uniquely theirs.

5. Establish a Consistent Daily Routine Before School Starts

Moving into primary school often means following a more structured schedule than in preschool, even if the start time may stay the same. To help your child adapt, begin shifting their daily routine at least 1–2 weeks before school begins.

• Wake up around the same time each day
• Set regular times for brushing teeth, eating breakfast, and packing a bag
• Keep bedtime consistent to ensure enough rest

A predictable morning routine helps reduce stress, prevent tiredness, and set a calm tone for the school day.

6. Talk to Your Child Every Day After School

The early weeks of first grade are emotionally rich, children may feel excited, nervous, curious, or even overwhelmed. Taking time to talk to your child daily (without pressure or judgment) helps them process these feelings.

Try open-ended questions like:

• “What was your favourite part of school today?”
• “Was there anything that felt new or strange?”
• “What do you think about your teacher so far?”

These conversations help your child feel heard and supported, while also giving you early insights into how they’re adjusting, and whether they may need extra encouragement.

La Petite Ecole Ho Chi Minh offers a caring and inspiring bilingual education in both French and English, supporting every child’s development academically, emotionally, and socially. With its warm, human-centered approach, the school provides the ideal setting for children to transition smoothly and confidently into primary school life.

What Makes La Petite Ecole Ho Chi Minh the Right Choice for First Grade Readiness?

• Modern bilingual education
  Our program follows the official French curriculum while offering daily exposure to French and English. This bilingual setting nurtures strong academic foundations, language development, and creativity, helping children grow with confidence in a multicultural world.
• Small class sizes
  Every child receives personalized attention from teachers who understand and adapt to individual learning paces.
• International and native-speaking teachers
  Students learn in a multicultural, multilingual environment that strengthens both language skills and global awareness.
• Safe and welcoming campus
  Our green, child-friendly campus features bright classrooms, creative play areas, and dedicated spaces for music and physical activity.
• Learning through real experiences
  Children learn by doing, through exploration, group work, play-based learning, physical movement, and the arts.

At La Petite Ecole Ho Chi Minh, we believe that when a child begins their school journey in a supportive, well-prepared, and joyful environment, they don’t just learn well, they love learning.

Let us help your child begin first grade with confidence, curiosity, and a big smile.

• Phone: 028 3519 1521
• Email: contact@lpehochiminh.com
• Address: 172 – 180 Nguyen Van Huong, An Khanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh city