7 questions about the first class

1. when is my child ready for school?

A child's intellectual development is only one aspect of school readiness. Equally important are physical development and health, a certain work ethic, motivation and willingness to learn and social behaviour that enables the child to cope independently with everyday life at primary school. Many school doctors emphasise that «socio-emotional skills» are ultimately more important for successful school enrolment than intellectual requirements.

2 My child is starting first grade in the summer and is not yet interested in maths and reading. Should I be worried?

No. Studies clearly show that children who are instructed in reading and maths by their parents from an early age are less successful at school later on than children who are not pushed to do so and have more freedom at home. The importance of free play for a healthy upbringing cannot be emphasised often enough.

3. what is the biggest difference between kindergarten and first grade?

The transition between kindergarten and first grade is usually a smooth one. Nevertheless, school is a new orientation for your child: he or she is going to a large school building where there are lots and lots of older children and there is a lot of hustle and bustle during the breaks. The class structure is also larger and more mixed. There are new, unfamiliar children to get to know, as well as new subjects and many new teachers. Your child has to learn to listen and to understand several assignments or instructions and carry them out within a certain period of time. They often do not choose their activities freely. More perseverance is required at school than in kindergarten. They learn to complete work within a certain time limit - and to wait, as it is not usually possible to respond to their spontaneous needs immediately. Your child will need a certain degree of independence. Coping with all this is a major adjustment.

4. can I have a say in which class my child is in?

School districts have their own distribution key (gender, age, place of residence or route to school, nationality). Attempts by parents to intervene do not go down well with headteachers - but nobody can object to a polite question. However, you should think carefully about the justification. «If our daughter is with her best friend, it will be easier for her to settle in» will hardly be enough. Some school districts or municipalities send out special request forms with the enrolment form, for example for the enrolment of twins.

5 When and how will I receive the information about the first class?

The class assignments, timetables and class information are sent by post, usually at the end of May or beginning of June before the start of the new school year. This letter also informs parents of the official day of attendance and other events. This is important for parents as childcare for children in the first class often has to be rearranged: Daycare centres often no longer take first-grade children. You should therefore look around for a new form of childcare (after-school care, lunch, grandma, neighbours, etc.) at an early stage.

6. how much homework do families need to be prepared for?

With Curriculum 21, certain schools have increased the number of lessons. As a result, some municipalities are considering or have already decided to give children no or only marginal homework. However, this varies greatly from canton to canton. Each teacher can actually decide for themselves whether, how often and how much homework they give the children. In any case, the rule of thumb «10 minutes per class and per day» should not be exceeded. If you notice that your child is spending more than 10 minutes a day on an assignment (or 20 minutes if they only have assignments every other day), let the teacher know. They will endeavour to find a solution. Every child learns at their own pace!

7 What can I do if I realise that my child needs support?

Talk to your child's teacher. The school offers a wide range of supportive special educational measures for children with special needs. It is important to all teachers that children enjoy going to school. They will be happy to support you. Children with learning difficulties are mainly supported in maths and German in a small group. In some municipalities, it is also possible for a child to complete Year 1 and Year 2 within three years (in a so-called introductory class or EK).

Children with EC status are given a special opportunity to carefully develop the foundations for their school career through play. Targeted support is provided jointly by the regular class teacher and the special needs teacher. Children who have grown up in a foreign-language region or whose first language is not German are also taught and supported in German as a second language (DaZ). Children with speech, language and voice delays receive additional speech therapy lessons (during regular lessons); speech therapy assessments are carried out in kindergarten and your child's language development is assessed again in the first class. If a child requires further treatment (e.g. psychomotor skills, occupational therapy, psychotherapy), the relevant sessions are usually held externally and outside of class time.

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