Admission season tends to bring out some fairly intense checklists online — full sentences, basic addition, reading short paragraphs — that honestly describe a child heading into Class 1, not one starting Prep. It's worth separating what schools genuinely expect at the Prep level from what gets exaggerated in group chats and admission-anxiety posts.
Reading full sentences, writing legibly, or doing addition and subtraction are Class 1 territory in most curriculums, not Prep. If your child isn't there yet, that's completely normal and not something to rush.
Schools consistently report that the biggest adjustment issue at Prep level isn't academic readiness — it's separation comfort and following classroom routines. A child who's used to being away from a parent for a few hours, who can follow a simple instruction from someone other than mom or dad, and who's comfortable in a group setting usually settles in faster than one who's academically ahead but hasn't had that social practice.
If you've got roughly a month and a half before Prep starts, ten to fifteen minutes a day on alphabet and number recognition, paired with regular short outings where your child interacts with other kids and adults, covers the two things that actually matter most — academic basics and comfort with routine.
Prep is meant to be the gentle introduction, not the test. If your child knows most of the checklist above and is reasonably comfortable being away from home for a few hours, they're in a good position.