Moving from pre-school to primary school is one of the largest school transitions for parents. Here are 4 tips to help you transition your child more smoothly into primary school!
Primary school life is one of the biggest hurdles parents face in terms of school transitions. Having seen, heard and experienced the difficulties of being a new P1 parents, I can assure you that despite all the preparations, practices, and trial runs to prepare for primary school life - you will still meet with bumps on this journey.
I have learned a lot from the many parents who have shared their journey and from my own experience. Here are my top 4 tips to help your child transition to primary school.
*This article is contributed by Agora Colearning
1. Build a Routine and Motivate Your Child Towards Independent Learning
For the most part, our lives consist of a series of patterns – routines we follow practically every day. Children crave for these patterns and routines as much as we do as it gives them assurance that they are doing the right thing. Building confidence this way helps children grow towards independence, creating healthy habits that will stick with them.
Building such a routine takes time, and tons of patience. Cue your child on what to do as a start, observe if they’d take action, and reward them for the right behaviour. Over time, your child will understand the importance of self direction and will be intrinsically motivated to complete tasks.
This is especially important when it comes to homework, as most children will procrastinate with the lure of other more interesting activities to do. Once your child understands that homework comes first, they will be motivated to complete it quickly and accurately, saving you from the agony of reminding and pushing them to complete their homework.
2. Engage in planned, meaningful activities that work towards holistic development
Time after school may seem like a long time to spend in a day, but that time can quickly pass if your child isn’t conscious of time. Children learn best when engaged in learning experiences rather than passively receiving information.
Plan pockets of time in the day after school where your child can engage in activities that will build their skill sets beyond just academic development. Play tennis weekly to build coordination skills or conduct a simple homemade science experiment at home. Your child will thank you for these wonderful experiences as they learn beyond the classroom.
3. It’s ok to not be the super hero who knows everything
It’s not easy juggling the role of an after school teacher (if you’re at home) and work commitments at the same time. For those of you who depend on external help such as helpers and grandparents, it is also difficult to dictate what they should do in this aspect as it may well be beyond their means to help.
There’s also only so much you or the caregiver can remember from school that will help your child in their current school work. Tuition and enrichment classes come in handy as they can help bridge the gap between your child’s understanding and the curriculum.
4. Don’t forget to play!
Going to primary school doesn’t mean your child has suddenly matured and grown up. They still need play time, especially outdoors. Playing outdoors not only helps improve motor skills, it also helps lower the risk of myopia greatly. Even though there’s physical education (PE) classes in school, it’s always good to bring your child outside to play for an hour daily to get some fresh air and exercise in!
Finding the perfect solution with Agora Student Care
Many working parents like me entrust our children to a student care centre to take care of the needs of your child while at work. Agora Student Care goes above and beyond what a student care typically offers. As you step into the premise, you’ll soon realise the difference - spanning over 20,000 sqft, Agora Student Care offers both indoor and outdoor learning spaces that your child can learn and play in.
Conveniently located at HarbourFront Centre, Agora Student Care offers transport arrangements to pick your child from school and you get to enjoy a stress-free end-of-work experience as you can pick your child up as late as 8 pm daily or even to arrange drop offs too!
Developed and led by experts in the education industry, Agora Student Care provides more than just basic childminding and care. Children are trained in self-directed learning and develop a strong foundation of independence. Be assured about what your child is doing after school with reports on your child's academic and holistic development keeping you updated on their progress regularly.
Furthermore, Agora Student Care is unique in the partnerships with renowned education providers to offer supplementary tuition and enrichment during after school hours. This saves you the hassle of ferrying your child around on weekends and freeing up quality time to spend with your child in the evenings and on weekends.
Primary school life doesn’t need to be stressful at all. With the right help, you’d be able to breeze through primary school easily. Find out more about Agora Student Care at https://bit.ly/3T6seaS
Exclusive: Drop by Agora Student Care booth (VivoCity Level 1, next to escalator near to NTUC Fairprice) from 21st to 27th November to learn more about our student care and receive a welcome gift.