Suffolk Libraries, including Felixstowe Library, have created 'Get Ready for Schools' book bags to help families with children who are going to start school for the first time this week.

The book bag contains stories that detail the school day as well as information cards to prepare children for the big day.

The contents include the following books: 'Starting school' by Janet and Allan Ahlberg, 'Going to school' by Rose Blake and 'Never take a bear to school' by Mark Sperring and Britta Teckentrup.

The information card packs include information on vital skills for school including: speech and language, how to use the toilet and uniforms.

YouGov's study on school readiness found that, on average, KS1 teachers found that 46% of children starting reception were not school ready. This number is up from 35% the previous year. YouGov found that key reasons for this increase include less time spent at nurseries due to lockdown restrictions (62%) and reduced reading to children (33%).

The resources provided by Felixstowe Library would appear to be invaluable in assuring that children will be more school ready.

For ways parents can help with this transition, William Guri, from the children's mental health charity Place2Be, said: "Parents can do quite a few things which can be helpful.

"One of the things is not to make assumptions that children know what is going to happen to them. Talk to them about what they may expect when meeting new friends and meeting their teachers."

I CAN, the children's communication charity, recommends the use of books to prepare children for starting school. They said: "Books provide another opportunity to talk with your child about this change and to address any worries or concerns they might have."

The Suffolk Libraries website also has information on other resources for getting ready for school, including reading lists and help with children's homework.

To reserve a book bag, follow the link here.

To find more information on the library's resources, follow the link here.

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