The time has finally come. Your little angel has grown up and it's time for them to embark on their scholastic journey. You may have been preparing for this day for quite some time, but are you ready to help them succeed to the best of the ability?
Mama Mia recently posted a list with some helpful advice on helping your kid do their best in year one of school. We liked it so much we decided to craft our own list!
We've assembled a list that can help moms and dads prepare their kids for the first year of school! With these resourceful tips and tricks, your kids will be a the top of their class and living up to their limitless potential:
1. Teach them the importance of self-control
Dr. Gregory Ramey, Ph.D., is the executive director of the Dayton Children’s Hospital Center for Pediatric Mental Health Resources. He weighed in on the importance of self-control as it pertains to your child's first year of school: "Children need a high degree of self-control to succeed in school and in life. Teach your kids about the importance of delayed gratification, completing small chores, and the appropriate way to behave when emotionally upset."
The idea of focusing on self-control can also lead to better behavior in the classroom. Not just in year one, but in the following years. If your child is able to display roper self-control, they will be less distracted in the classroom. Being more controlled, calm, and focused in the classroom will set a foundation for an attentive learner in the later years of their education.
Learn more expert advice on how to help your kids succeed in their first year at school! Click next!
2. Improve parent-teacher communication
If you ever have any questions or doubts about your child's development in a learning environment, you can always follow up with feedback from a primary source. Their teacher knows their behavior and abilities in the classroom, and you should be willing and ready to seek and receive feedback whenever possible. In their first year of school, there may not be mandatory parent-teacher conferences. So, you may have to reach out to their teacher and learn what they have to say about your child's development. Through a teacher's feedback you can work on what your child is struggling with at an early age and work towards success from there.
3. Practice reading
This means reading to and with your child. Whether it's through story time or extra learning activities, the point is to familiarize your kids with language at an early age. The Director of Birrung Education, Jules Woodhouse, said in an interview with Mama Mia that "“Coming home to enjoy afternoon tea practicing letters, sounds, sight words and readers. If your child is not collected until the late afternoon or evening from a care provider, it is crucial that you make the relevant home learning time; possibly in the morning before school.”
Getting your child acclimated with phonics, words, and reading activities can lead to higher success at an early age. Don't be shy to read to or with your kids to make sure they make the most of their first year in school. It also helps to get your child familiarized with spelling their own name, and basic counting and numeration.
4. Emotional/social development
This is a big factor for your child's success in year one of school. The first year of school isn't the most difficult academically, admittedly, since the students are so young and they're still so early in their development. As a result, a large emphasis of their curriculum is based on developing and solidifying their social skills in a learning environment.
If you want your child to succeed in their first year you'll first need to work on their attitude towards attendance. Jules Woodhouse says, “Having a child who is happy to skip their way to school and farewell you at the gate is the successful child, the child who is crying and clinging to a parents leg after the bell is not what you want.”
If your child is excited about the idea of going to school , they'll be more engaged while in school. Work to improve their overall behavior about education and learning in any way possible. In turn, they'll learn from their teachers about proper behavior and interaction in the classroom, but you'll need to do your part to ensure they make the most of year one.
READ: 10 Activities that will boost your preschooler’s fine motor skills in no time
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