How to prepare your child for new academic year
THE new year has arrived, and as we anticipate a better year, we prepare ourselves and our children for a new school year.
The new school year is about to begin, and children are expected to adapt to new routines, possibly a new school, and often a new environment.
Other children return to their familiar school settings but have to adjust to new academic content, accompanied by new teachers in a higher grade who have a different approach to teaching and learning pedagogy.
These adaptations that a child has to make are often not discussed and vocalised appropriately, and often, as parents, we are still determining how to assist our children in adjusting to a new academic year.
This stance is based on the premise that society expects every child to transition smoothly and that this transition does not warrant speculation, expert opinion, introspection and improvement.
Many parents are primarily focused on the financial aspects of a new academic year and must realise the pressures the child experiences in adapting to a new school year.
Some of us believe this transition is uncomplicated and straightforward, whereas others think we must do our best to aid our children’s transition. Parents also assume that children must adjust and cope with the process by themselves, and that the bulk of the responsibility lies with the child.
Many parents are proactive in assisting their children to transition smoothly to a new academic environment and cope with the lifestyle change.
Unhealthy emotions based on a lack of support among children can develop and possibly hinder the healthy development of your child’s personality and thinking capacity in the long term.
As your child enters a new grade, a new school, or transitions from primary to high school, there are various initiatives we can take to assist this process. They are as follows:
Prepare your child’s school requisites beforehand. This includes stationery, uniforms, uniform alterations, transport arrangements, school lunch ideas and snacks. This provision lets the child realise that his schooling adaptation is equally crucial to the parents.
In the case of pre-primary stages and first-time learners at a new school, the child should visit the school before the first day so that the child is aware of where to go and what to do on their first day. Ease your child into a new routine for the academic year. This means including reading into the daily routine after a holiday of online gaming, movies, and long hours of screen time, as well as socialising and swimming in the summer heat. Encouraging your child to read before the school term begins allows him to adjust to a new focus in his day-to-day activities after the holidays. In addition, the impact of reading encourages critical thinking and develops the child’s capacity to focus on academic tasks. The purpose of reading is to develop the child’s capacity to comprehend. Important information about the school’s functionality and the child’s expectations for the appropriate grade must be communicated to the child timeously. Parents should not rely solely on the communication strategies of the school, and attempt to share as much information as they can with the child in an appropriate and loving communication style, which can encourage the child to be confident and happy within their schooling environment.
Inform your child that the teaching and learning approaches vary from grade to grade and are primarily impacted by the educator’s approach, personality and capacity to articulate well. Make your child aware of the importance of raising uncertainties in class with the teachers. At the outset, your child must understand that a lack of understanding on their side results from multiple factors, not just them. Indicate to them that addressing this gap would be vocalising their concerns in the classroom.
Discuss and share information about healthy and unhealthy friendships among children with them. Stress the importance of a child developing personal boundaries, of when to say no and when to agree with their peers. Discuss scenarios of bullying, teasing, and harassment, which have become very common in both private and public schooling systems. Give your child a measure to deal with a situation like this. They should be guided to inform the teachers and later communicate their experience to you as their parent at home. In the case of adolescents, the situation is trickier, and the child usually decides if the parents and educators need to be involved.
Encourage open communication about friendships and relationships between the opposite sex. Your child should be aware of what is permissible and inform you if a romantic friendship develops with your child; that each parent has a unique way of parenting and that what may be acceptable for another child should not be used as a benchmark in your home. Please encourage your child to become an active member of their school community. This entails allowing them to be involved in all sports and cultural activities. Their personality development will benefit from the sense of belonging, their engagement can enhance their communication-building skills, and they will learn about the diversity of cultures in our proudly South African rainbow nation. Exhibit complete trust and confidence in your child. This will enable them to adapt more efficiently with a positive mindset and adjust to their new environment.
Do not involve your child in your financial woes and concerns. Your child should not be aware of your struggles to pay his school fees and get him through his academic year in 2024. It can only add personal stress to your child’s well-being and impact his capacity to perform well academically.