“Psst!” I have a confession to make. I LOVED school when I was kid. Every term break I would be counting down the days till I get to go back to school to learn and play with my friends. Nerd alert, yes I know. I did notice that not everyone loves school. In fact, a good portion do not actually enjoy it. Pull away their blankets, turn on the bright lights and switch off the air-conditioner and they will still not budge an inch off their beds to go to school. Most would rather stick their faces in the iPad than read a book; some would rather ride a bicycle than do their homework. I feel you, parents. Perhaps, give the following tips a shot to boost their viewpoint towards school and learning:
Positive Attitude
Everybody and their grandparents know that kids love to ask “Why?”. Let the kids know that school is the place where they can get all the answers to their whys and the wherefores. Share with them that access to education is a privilege. Read books about starting school to stimulate enthusiasm. Otter Goes to School by Sam Garton is a good read for little ones going to school for the first time. Model a positive attitude about school to excite the kids about the new adventure ahead.
Build Up their Confidence
Boost your kid’s confidence by telling them that you believe in them and appreciate how they learn. Give praise where praise is due, teach resilience, instill independence and adventure, and support their pursuit of a passion. The accumulation of your encouraging words throughout time can help develop confidence in the little ones to survive, thrive and love preschool.
Let’s Go Shopping
Shopping, everybody loves some shopping. Alright, not everybody but taking kids back-to-school shopping is bound to thrill them. It is a fun activity to let them pick out their choice of stationery, bags, lunchboxes and drink bottles. Be careful not to go overboard and mind the budget!
Creative Learning
Spark their interest in learning by turning everyday events into learning opportunities. Encourage kids to explore the world around them and bring learning outdoors – go hiking, walking or playing in the playground. Provide kids with play opportunities that support different learning styles. Equipment that aid open-ended play, for example puzzles and blocks, are great tools to foster learning. Make learning fun and kids would not refrain school.
Feed their Interest
Show enthusiasm in your child’s interests and encourage children to explore and learn further about the subjects that captivate them. Keep their interests alive and it will make them hungry to head back to school for more.
Reiterate the Day
To build strong connections between school and home, you need to stay abreast with what is going on in your child’s school. Find out what they learned by asking small questions such as: “What song did you sing for music class today?”, “Did you get time for water-play?”, “What was for lunch?”. Try to avoid asking one big question “What did you learn in school today?”. It may be a simple straightforward question for us adults but for kids it is daunting to cover the whole day in one question. This will most likely lead to the answer “I do not know”.
Encourage their Friendships
Often kids look forward to seeing their friends at school every day. These little buddies can make a world of a difference for kids who are not exactly keen on attending classes. Schedule play dates or plan extracurricular activities together to help those friendships flourish.
Volunteer at School
If time permits, get involved in school by volunteering – participate in school activities, attend school events or serve on the parent council. Kid’s love for school will heighten when they see how much interest you place in their school. Kids will pick up on your cues.
Celebrate Achievements
Avoid rewards to encourage children to learn. Let learning be the reward. Feed their curious minds with necessary resources to help them explore different topics and discover new things. Even if the kid did not ace in language lessons, he or she may excel in numbers. Focus on the strengths and nurture talents by providing relevant supporting tools like wooden abacus or interlocking cubes. Celebrate their achievements, no matter how small.
At the end of the day, every child is indeed very different. Some needs no motivation to wake up for school every morning, while some need a longer time span to acclimate. Avoid forcing and try positive reinforcement instead.
