The new school year has just begun. This means that the days of staying up past bedtimes, sleeping in and having no homework are a thing of the past for your child until the next holiday rolls around.
As your child settles into the new term, it is time to restore some order!
You may be wondering...
- “How can my child get back into the learning momentum again?”
- “If my child starts revision early and practises consistently, does it mean he or she will be flying high by the time the first tests roll around?
It is important to ensure there is some form of balance between easing your child back into the school routine and helping him or her get ready to take on the term's challenges.
Don’t talk about getting back into the school routine as if it’s a negative thing. Adopt a tone of excitement! Talk to your child about going back to school as a new opportunity for him or her to pick up new experiences and develop new skills!
Related Article: 5 Important Back-To-School Tips Your Child Should Know
Here are some of our tips on how you can be proactive in your child's academic journey and help him or her seamlessly transition back into the school routine.
1. Celebrate the Milestones
What were some of your child’s happy experiences in learning last year?
More than just excelling in tests, it might have been mastering a difficult concept, getting his or her artwork praised by the teacher and displayed in the classroom, or delivering a captivating presentation that gave him or her an immense sense of pride and satisfaction.
Beyond the classroom, perhaps it was clocking his or her personal best time in swimming or successfully managing to bake a pie. It might also have been creating that beautiful DIY birthday gift for mum or participating in a meaningful visit to a home.
These are all learning moments for the road. And as a parent, you should help your child to recall these moments in detail — the setbacks along their learning journey and how they overcame them.
Helping your child remember the milestones reinforces his or her love for learning. Most importantly, it whets his or her appetite for more of these joys in the new year.
2. Press the Right Interest Buttons
If your child is a reluctant reader, how do you get him or her to read? If your child is Maths-averse, how do you help your child to stop fearing the subject?
Every good teacher knows it’s about pressing the right buttons. As a parent, you can play your part too.
For a reluctant reader, you can start by finding books and literature relating to what they love, e.g. great pieces on Pokémon or Minecraft for the avid gamers.
With the Maths-averse child, our teachers spark your child's interest in the subject by showing the relevance of what he or she is learning in class to his or her daily life experiences, e.g. sharing on the odds of winning a penalty shootout.
3. 'Disrupt' Learning and Shake Things Up
Disrupting the usual flow can help your child develop creative and critical thinking skills and build resilience.
We suggest something fun and simple. It’s all about learning something new, in small quantities and different ways each week. For example, your child can learn a few greetings in another language, or try writing with his or her non-dominant hand.
Trying to remember lists of information that your child needs for the exams does not make for deep learning but committing to memory through visualisation can stimulate his or her mind for higher order tasks that will come in the term.
More importantly, children own the processes more if they are able to think about what they like best and try to challenge themselves both academically and personally.
Related Article: 5 Questions to Ask Your Child to Sharpen Critical Thinking Skills
Make This Year the Best One Yet
With every new year comes new learning experiences for your child as he or she advances to the next academic level.
As educators, we want to help your child dream big, plan well, and do more. A fulfilling learning journey for your child begins with doing routines well, and more importantly, doing it in fun and surprising ways.
This year, let us help your child reach his or her fullest potential both in the classroom and beyond.
Click here to find out more about how our programmes can equip your child with the right tools in conquering this new academic year.
The Learning Lab is now at 9 locations. Find a location that suits your needs.
If you have any questions about our programmes, please email us at enquiry@thelearninglab.com.sg or call us at 6733 8711 and we will be happy to assist you.