The number one way to support your child to talk to new and unfamiliar people.

In their 4+ Assessments, your child will have to talk to people that they have never met before in their lives. At the ages of 3 and 4, this can definitely be scary. If your child is not prepared appropriately for this, they will 100% not be successful. If your child is not able to communicate with the Assessors they will not be successful. If your child is not able to answer their questions, they will not be successful.

So you can see why being able to talk to new and unfamiliar people is so important when preparing for the 4+ Assessments.

Here is the number one way to support your child with this.

It’s probably something that you are not expecting.

Here it is.

TALK TO YOUR CHILD ABOUT IT.

Set a time in your calendar every single day to sit with your child and talk to them about this.

Even if it’s just for 2 minutes every day.

Let me give you an example. Names have been changed.

Joanna was mummy to 3 year old Iris. Iris was preparing for her 4+ Assessments at NLCS and Habs girls and 4 other schools. Iris is a bright girl but she refused to talk to me for the first 2 months of tuition. Her parents were determined to continue with me and we did. I taught her every week for 2 months and she would show up to the lesson and listen to my every word. When I asked her questions, she refused to answer me. Iris would just look at me with her bright brown eyes! I told her to whisper the answer to her mummy and so she would. Joanna would then tell me her answers. And we continued like this for the full two months. Luckily Joanna had started early with me (9 months before Iris’s 4+ Assessments) and we had plenty of time to work on this together. After those two months, Iris finally opened up to me and I started to hear her beautiful voice. It was like a dream come true to both me and her mother!

However, in her 4+ Assessments, Iris would not have 2 months to open up to the Assessors! She would need to speak to them and answer their questions.

Joanna was so upset. Iris refused to talk to strangers.

So I encouraged her to do this one thing.

TALK TO YOUR CHILD ABOUT IT.

Every day, she sat with Iris and asked her ‘Why?’

‘Why do you not want to talk to these people?’

It took about 2 weeks before Iris started opening up about it with her mother.

Eventually she did.

She told her mummy, ‘I just don’t like it mama. I don’t know them. Why should I talk to them?’

When her mummy explained to her that she should try to answer them and that it wouldn’t be so scary, we started to see a shift.

It took 3 months before Iris started talking to new and unfamiliar people. Of course, she was still on the more reserved side but she did start speaking to them.

I encouraged Iris to try many things to help her with this and they worked. It took time but they worked.

She passed Habs Girls 4+ and will be going there this Year (September 2024!)

So just ask your child. Every day. Talk to them. Explain to them WHY they should try to talk to new and unfamiliar people. Be patient with it and trust in the process.

There is nothing wrong with your child.

One final place remaining to work with me for 2025 entry. Book your Sample Lesson today!