Starting school is a huge life event for both kids and parents; kudos to you for making it through the challenging first week.
Studies show that a child’s first years at school are critically important; there is a continuous link between the progress that children make in their first year in school – in fact, the first six weeks – and the GCSE grades they will go on to achieve at the age of 16.
I’m Brigid - a parent and an early years teacher - here are my top tips for navigating the new school year as a parent and setting your little one up for success.
1. Nervous parent = nervous child
The thought of your child taking this huge leap to school can be daunting and anxiety inducing for parents. Struggles in the first few weeks of ‘settling in’ are common and can be challenging for children to navigate.
You are your child’s most important role model and your outlook and language inspires theirs. Despite how you might feel on the inside, maintaining optimistic language and a positive approach to all things school related will help your child focus on the good things about school.
2. Children love routine
Children love the security and predictability of daily rituals. Establish a fun morning routine that you enjoy together every day before heading out to school to set them up with a positive start each day.
3. Nurture their independence
Washing their hands, opening their lunchbox, dressing by themselves; the more independent your child is, the more confident they will feel at school. Role playing scenarios such as asking the teacher for help or talking to a new friend for the first can be hugely beneficial.
4. Create a home learning space
Somewhere where kids go to read, complete homework, take on a learning project; that’s free from distractions. Holding this space for learning reinforces importance of learning in your family and helps establish good study habits from an early age.
5. Foster a love for learning
Create opportunities to make learning fun. I always recommend EDURINO who provide the perfect learning buddies for kids aged 4 - 8. EDURINO have gamified the UK national curriculum, reinforcing the skills kids are learning in the classroom, at home.
One of the huge benefits for kids who learn with EDURINO is the magic pen: kids strengthen their fine motor skills and practice tripod pen grip while they are learning about number, phonics, coding…(the list goes on!)
Click here to find out more about EDURINO's New School Bundle.
