Of course, the school has its share of responsibility for the education and upbringing of children, but much also depends on the family. Parents make the mistake of imposing too much control over their children, doing their homework for them, or being too strict with their grades. However, it would also be unwise to withdraw completely from the learning process.
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In This Article
Prepare your child for school
The first year is very important. The more comfortable the child is from the start, the more likely he or she will not be opposed to school later on.
In order for the first grader to adapt more quickly, psychological preparation is required beforehand. It will be easier for him to get used to the new environment if you even before the beginning of the school year, play in school; show him how to collect his bag; explain what lessons and homework are; enroll the child in courses for pre-schoolers, where he can get acquainted with his future teachers.
Many parents ask what they need to be able to do for school. There are no official requirements, but you will make life easier for your child if you teach them to read. Put a dull primer on the shelf and try to find books that your first-grader will really enjoy. Preferably, they should have bright pictures, an interesting story, and simple short text.
To teach your child important learning skills, offer educational games such as puzzles, mazes, coloring by number, and connecting dots by number. These activities help them concentrate and think logically, train attention, perseverance, and fine motor skills, and help them remember counting, colors, and shapes.
Design activities to awaken a newcomer’s taste for learning (rather than an aversion to it) and to help him or her learn the most basic skills. You can use the KUMON method for this. Don’t overdo it: if you go through the whole first-grade curriculum beforehand, your child will be bored in lessons.
Stir up an interest in science
Reading a textbook is not the most important thing you can do. It’s much more important to be motivated, interested, and want to explore the world. Think of ways to engage your child in science and whet their appetite for knowledge. Here are just a few ways.
- Give your child a colorful encyclopedia that explains the theory in a simple and fun way.
- Go to the planetarium.
- Watch a popular science movie.
- Enroll your child in a language camp.
- Visit history museums and art galleries.
- Do some fun experiments at home – show them that chemistry and physics are more than just formulas.
It would be great if you could give your child the opportunity to put what he has learned into practice. For example, let your child pay in a shop (to reinforce addition and subtraction). By linking learning to real life, he will become more interested in school subjects.
Teach the basics of time management
Knowing how to manage their time and making a habit of getting things done on time will make learning much easier. Show your pupil how to develop a realistic timetable and explain why the organization is important. Here are some planning rules.
- When time is short and things are busy, it is a good idea to make a list of what needs to be completed in the next day or week. Then you should mark the most urgent items on the list so that you don’t waste time on less important ones.
- To manage time, you need to learn to say ‘no’ to things that might interfere with your priorities.
- When adding large tasks to your to-do list, you should divide them into three or four parts and move forward step by step. Then a huge task will seem doable and less daunting.
- It is desirable to keep a certain routine every day so that it becomes a habit (for instance, always start your homework right after school).
- When a teenager has too many tasks, it causes a lot of stress. To keep your child motivated, you need to plan not only important tasks but also regular breaks.
If you want your child to grow up, don’t be tempted to do everything for him. He should be able to plan his own activities so that he has enough time to do his homework, study for exams, and relax. You need to teach him how to do this and step aside.
Help with stress
The school creates a lot of stress: quizzes, tests, exams, reports, and even the blackboard can be very stressful. Excessive stress leads to a whole range of unpleasant consequences: it prevents concentration, impairs cognitive ability, reduces the chances of getting good results, and, of course, is bad for health.
Here are some simple ways to help your child cope with anxiety and stress.
- If a pupil doesn’t get enough sleep, his body will struggle to cope with the stress. A good night’s rest is essential, so make sure your child always goes to bed on time and gets at least nine hours of sleep. The brain will rest better if electronic devices (TV, laptop, tablet, mobile phone) are turned off about an hour before bedtime.
2 Fear of failure, worrying about results, and insecurity about their abilities are typical worries of many students. Explain to the child that there is no point in getting worked up. Instead, they should take a sober look at the circumstances. How justified are the fears? What exactly can be done to prevent the fears from coming true? It is not difficult to break the chain of worrying thoughts, you just have to change your approach to the situation.
- Tell your pupil about relaxation techniques. For example, listening to your favorite music, meditating, imagining your future triumph in detail, taking a mental journey to a safe place, making art, taking a bath, and taking a walk in the nearest park can all help you calm down quickly.
- Proper planning is also one way to save yourself from stress. It’s important to strike a balance between studying and having fun. It is useful to include in your schedule sports and favorite activities, socializing with friends.
- Don’t judge too harshly or dwell on bad grades. Everyone makes mistakes: it’s an essential element of learning. Explain to your child that failure is not a disaster, but a reason to think about how to improve next time.
Explain a difficult topic
Of course, homework is the responsibility of the pupil and the explanation of the material is the teacher’s responsibility. But if your child can’t make sense of a topic and asks for your help, try to help them out.
Just in case you yourself have forgotten the school curriculum, it is useful to have reference books and encyclopedias on the main subjects on hand so that you can refresh your knowledge quickly. When talking to your child, stay calm and positive and speak in a neutral tone. Remember: your job is to create a positive attitude towards learning.
It is important to use feedback. It is best to combine praise with constructive criticism. Start with the good, then point out what could be improved. Concentrate on the essentials: No one is interested in a long list of shortcomings. Then talk about the good things again to end on an optimistic note.
