When your child starts Reception in September, they will be getting used to a different lunchtime routine. 

The first major difference is the option to have a hot meal. You can help your child to be ready for this by allowing them opportunities to express a preference or make a choice. Of course, you could also read the menu each day and tell your child what to choose, but making sensible choices is part of growing up.

This connects to the second difference. If we have returned to pre-Covid norms, your child will be eating in the dining room. They will need to eat their food within a reasonable period of time before the next age group needs to come in.

The most obvious new skill involved in eating school dinners is the ability to use a knife and fork effectively.  Can your child cut up their own dinner yet? Of course, teachers and TAs often cut up food for children who ask for help but now is the best time to start learning this independent skill. Any activity where your child is using a tool in their hands is preparing them for writing.

In this picture you will see how we vary the tools we use with paint and playdough as part of the Physical Development processes involved in cultivating the fine motor and fine manipulative skills that will serve the children well in holding a pencil and learning to write.

Encourage your little learner to have a go at using cutlery. We would love them to share their success with us at news time.

Mrs Newman