We can develop our children’s good habits to ready them for school. Managing the use of their electronic devices, having a bedtime routine and ensuring that they get adequate sleep will help them to feel happy and alert in school, which is conducive for their learning.
We can teach our children how to pack their school bag according to the timetable and do it together with them. This will help them to locate their learning materials easily in school and they will feel less anxious.
We can also help them to learn how to stay focused on tasks in school by doing fun activities at home that require them to pay attention and follow instructions, e.g., baking, card/board games and puzzles.
Tell your child it is okay to make mistakes and that mistakes help us to learn. Parents can role play a few challenging situations – what your child can say or do, and how to manage their emotions, for example when they forget to bring materials needed for class.
HOW PARENTS CAN FURTHER SUPPORT THEIR CHILD
What we say and do as parents can shape our children’s attitude towards learning.
Instead of asking, “Did you get all your answers in the worksheet correct?”, try asking “What was something interesting you learnt today? What questions did you ask? What ideas did you share with the class?”
Set aside time to read English and Mother Tongue Language books with your child or use picture books to interact with your child.
Support your child’s interests and their efforts to explore their interests further. If you do not know the answers to your child’s questions, say, “let’s learn and find out together.” You and your child can look up websites together, go on a field trip or borrow books from the library to find out more.
To build a child’s positive attitude towards learning and challenges, it is important to spend time developing their perseverance. You can challenge your child to try different things beyond their comfort zone and provide support only when necessary, instead of jumping in too quickly to help when they struggle.
It is also important to celebrate your child’s efforts, and not just their achievements. This will help your child stay motivated to keep working at a task to complete it, instead of giving up easily.
