Planning and preparation for the new school year can go a long way if done right. Starting off the year right can make a huge difference to your child’s performance throughout the year and can harvest some outstanding results if done correctly. Here are some ways to plan for the month ahead and things to consider before the school year begins.
1. Review content from previous year
Make sure your child knows where their weaknesses and strengths lie by getting them to review content from the previous year. This can include going through the past year’s school reports and teachers’ notes from assessments and tests.
If your child is able to identify areas of concern for themselves, help them review the content to make sure that they understand content that was already covered. This will ensure that they are ready for new content that will be covered throughout the new school year.
You can also set goals with your child so that they have some benchmarks to work towards. Goals should be SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time based. Goal setting before the new year is great for kids because it can provide a sense of purpose and help build confidence and self-esteem when they achieve their goals.
2. Look over the syllabus for the semester
If it is possible to get a copy of the syllabus from you child’s teacher, look over the content that will be covered over the year with your child. This will ensure your child won’t encounter any surprises during lessons and will give them time to build interest in the topics that will be covered over the year.
3. Set Goals
As mentioned before, helping your child set goals for themselves can be useful. Start by helping your child think of a personal statement, something that encompasses all of their values and beliefs that they can live by and refer to throughout the year. These can include valuing being healthier or spending time with friends and family.
Setting a broad goal like this will help your child keep their eyes on the prize. Setting small and SMART goals is what will help your child keep going. It can be very encouraging and rewarding for a child to achieve small goals. By breaking long term and big goals into smaller, more achievable short-term goals, your child will be more likely to not lose track of progress. Small goals can include finishing a book a week, practicing times tables 5 times a week or writing in a diary every night. These are all great ways to practice reading, math and writing, but there are plenty more ideas and goals to explore!
By setting these goals, your child will be able to fly through small and big milestones throughout the new school year!
4. Organize study area
Organizing a study space is a great way to help your child get inspired to learn. Get ready for the coming semester by choosing an area that your child can associate with learning.
Begin by clearing all clutter and making sure the space is comfortable. Prioritize and organize what needs to be in the study space and what doesn’t. It’s also a great idea for you to set a time to declutter the desk with your child every week to ensure their study space is always ready for use throughout the year!
5. Have an early night the day before school starts
Lastly, encourage your child to have an early night the day before school starts. Making sure your child gets enough sleep is very important.
It’s always important to make sure your child gets enough sleep, but because it’s the first day of school and you want your kid to start the year off right, it’s extra important the night before! It’s a great idea to set up a regular time for bed a few days before and to get your child in the routine of relaxing and winding down an hour or so before sleeping. This means putting away electronics and doing some relaxing activities like reading, taking a bath or having a quiet chat about the day.
If your child is young and is having trouble winding down, practice some relaxation techniques like mindfulness or breathing for relaxation and make sure your child feels safe by avoiding scary TV shows and movies. Some children may feel more at ease with the use of a night light.
Other Education Sources:
Police Entrance Exam Preparation: https://testprep.com.au/victoria-police-practice-tests or https://www.vicpol.testprep.com.au/
Year 11-12 Maths Tuition: https://testprep.com.au/math-tuition
