Primary School

Learning how to Study

By:
Published March 9th 2011, in Education, Primary School

At some point in our children’s school careers, they will have to pick up their books and study. After having gone through our own schooling, we might have forgotten that studying is an acquired skill that does not come naturally to children. Children need to be taught how to absorb and recall scholastic material effectively.

Teach your child to find a place where he will not be distracted by the TV. If he studies at a desk with a computer – the computer should be switched off. No telephone calls are to take place during the time allocated for studying. Help him to organize himself before even starting to study – get all the necessary books and stationery ready. A healthy snack before study time is always a good idea. Concentration span changes according to age – young children struggle to concentrate for more than 30 minutes, therefore it is necessary to take regular breaks. Most important of all teach your child to be interested in the material he has to master. A positive attitude is half the battle won!

Not every one learns in the same way. We get visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners. Visual learners learn more effectively with the aid of charts, maps, brainstorming and the use of colour. Auditory learners must hear the information, therefore it is good for them to read the material out loud to themselves. Kinesthetic learners have to experience the work in order to understand and remember it.

How do you know what kind of learner your child is?

Visual Learners are often

  • Good at spelling
  • Need quiet study time
  • They need time to think about the material before they understand it
  • They like colours and fashion
  • They dream in color
  • Like and understand charts.

Auditory Learners

  • Like to read out loud to themselves
  • Not afraid to speak in class
  • Like oral reports
  • They are good at explaining things to others
  • They remember names
  • Often notice sound effects in movies
  • Enjoy music
  • They are good at grammar and other languages
  • They read slowly
  • They follow spoken instructions well
  • They struggle to keep quiet for long periods of time
  • They enjoy acting.

Kinesthetic Learners

  • They are often good at sport
  • They also struggle to sit still for long periods of time
  • They are not good at spelling
  • They do not have the best handwriting
  • They love role playing
  • Like loud music
  • Like science labs and experiments
  • They are fidgety
  • They like to build models.

If you recognize your child in any of these descriptions, it would be good to teach him to learn accordingly – using the senses that resonates with him.

There are different memorizing techniques that you can try with your child:

* Repetition – going over the material again and again until they remember.
* Associations – associate an image or experience with a fact.
* Summarize the work – try to condense the work in such a way that a phrase will unlock a series of facts.
* Acronyms – they work good for lists.
* Rhythm and music – using the body and hearing simultaneously.

Once your child has prepared for a test it is up to you as a parent to help him to feel confident about his ability to recall what he has learned. A confident child is less likely to make careless mistakes due to nervousness.

Preparing your Child for Big School

Key tips to helping kids adjust

By:
Published October 27th 2010, in Education, Primary School

Having to make the change from preschool or nursery school to primary school can be a pretty scary prospect to a six year old.  Many six year olds become very anxious at the thought of now having to conform to the rules and expectations set by the school. My daughter expressed her fear of not being able to sit still for long enough and also not having time to play with her friends.  How can we as parents help our child to make this transitions as smooth as possible?

I believe the most important way to prepare a youngster for school is to take the unknown out of the equation.

  • Meeting the teacher before hand as well as seeing the classroom will make it more familiar on the first day of school.
  • A primary school is very big to a six year old, explain that it takes time to get to know the school and that her teacher will help them in the beginning until they know their way around the school.
  • Explain to her what they will do during a normal school day, it might be useful to get an older sibling to help explain to her what to expect.
  • Explain that there will be  two breaks in the day when they can play outside.
  • Tell her when assembly takes place, where it takes place, who will be there and what they will be doing during this time.
  • Tell her that they will sometimes go to other classes like the computer centre, the music centre and the library.
  • Assure her that you (or someone she knows well) will be there to pick her up at the end of the school day.

Give your child the opportunity to ask questions and take time to answer them in full.

Give your child the chance to participate in the build up to the first day of school.  Let her be there when you buy the school uniform, stationery and other essentials.  Allow her to choose her lunch box and bottle.

First day of school only comes once in a life time and we should emphasize that everything they do at school will be enjoyable!

How to Deal with Primary School Bullies

By:
Published February 23rd 2010, in Education, Primary School

After taking the time to decide on the right school for our child and seeing the little one sitting behind a big desk with only pigtails sticking out – we go home with a tear in our eye and a warm heart.  You have put in the effort, paid the money, interviewed the teacher, prepared your child; now she will be safe and it is a matter of learning and doing homework for the next decade.

Your perfect dream comes to an end when your first grader comes home during the first week in tears, telling you about the horrible child in her class.  He makes jokes about her hair, he calls her dumb, he teases her for wearing glasses and takes her lunch treats from her bag when the teacher is not watching.  Not once did you up to this moment consider the possibility of school yard BULLIES….

Every child – bully and victim have a right to be at school.  The rights of the children do vary though in the sense that all children have a right to be educated and play in a safe environment.  They have a right to experience a sense of community within the school, feel a sense of social value and feel that they are being listened to.  The bully makes his victim feel small, weak, alone and useless. They do not treat their victims with dignity and respect that they deserve, therefore stripping them completely of their rights.

The bully’s attack can be verbal or physical or both.  He/she tends to like the students who are timid , shy and struggle to stand up for themselves.  Ironically they like scaring others, because they are scared.  They exert power over others in order to feel less powerless.  These bullies have a fear of being dislikes and abused and therefore rather put themselves in the abusive role than make themselves vulnerable.  Quite often they have been abused by classmates or adults.  They have an intense fear that others would make fun of them – so they will pick on weaker children to look cool.  Their behaviour becomes so entrenched that they need someone to help them break the pattern.

If parents suspects that their child might be bullied look out for the following signs:

  • Minor ailments in the morning before school, for example headache or stomach ache.
  • A constant theme of not wanting to go to school in the mornings.
  • Requests to be driven to school instead of taking the bus or walking to school.
  • A refusal to take part in school activities.
  • Noticeable cuts and bruises, a loss of money and property or damages to his school clothes or property.
  • If your child becomes withdrawn, develops a lack of confidence, struggles sleeping and experiences nightmares.
  • If he suddenly starts wetting his bed.
  • Starts requesting money on a more regular basis or even talking money without your consent.
  • If your previously responsive child do not want to discuss what is wrong in his life currently.
  • A sudden increase in aggressive and irrational behavior
  • When he is obviously hiding the truth behind unlikely excuses.

Some practical advice for children dealing with bullies:

1.    You have to be courageous to confront a bully.
2.    You have to put your foot down and say: “That is enough!”  If you cannot say it, ask a friend or an adult to say it for you.
3.    Bullies like to get to you when you are alone.  Try and make sure you always have a friend or two close by.
4.    Ask for help.  If you are too shy, write down the bully’s name and what he does that you do not like and put it on your teacher’s desk.  Someone needs to know.  If he is bullying you, he might be doing it to others as well.
5.    Do not try to fight with a bully.  Violence is not the answer. You are beter than him!
6.    Talk to yourself – tell yourself that you can stand up to him.  Say it over and over and over again.  Soon you will believe it!
7.    Always stick to the facts and avoid your feelings when you talk to the bully.  You do not want to give him more ammunition.
8.    Lela Davidson said it is OK to BAIL, when BAIL stands for

  • B – Be direct: “I do not like that! Please stop.”
  • A – Avoid bully
  • I – Ignore bully
  • L – Laugh at bully. Make a joke along with bully to disarm him.

It is important that parents keep the following in mind when dealing with a bullied child:  The child needs to feel valued.  The bully strips him of his worth, makes him small and weak.  Parents need to reinforce that the child is needed in the household, he has a purpose, his life is meaningful and most of all he is loved unconditionally for the person he is.  Do not try to overcompensate by buying gifts or codding your child – he needs unconditional acceptance.  It is important to focus on the child’s happiness and comfort at home and at school.  Lastly it is very important that in addition to the school community that the child belongs to, the alternative safe communities (eg. Church, scouts, art clubs,etc.) are found where the child will feel accepted and learn other coping mechanisms.

Unfortunately the victim’s parents live with worry over their child and the bully’s parents usually with a combination of worry and embarassment.