Continued from last edition
5. Teach organisational skills: When kids are organized, they can stay
focused instead of spending time hunting things down and getting
sidetracked.
What does it mean to be organized at the elementary level? For
schoolwork, it means having an assignment book and homework folder
(many schools supply these) to keep track of homework and projects.
Check your child’s assignment book and homework folder every school
night so you’re familiar with assignments and your child doesn’t fall
behind. Set up a bin for papers that you need to check or sign. Also,
keep a special box or bin for completed and graded projects and toss
papers that you don’t need to keep.
Talk to your child about keeping his or her school desk orderly so
papers that need to come home don’t get lost. Teach your child how to
use a calendar or personal planner to help stay organised.
It’s also helpful to teach your child how to make a to-do list to help
prioritize and get things done. It can be as simple as: No one is born
with great organizational skills โ they need to be learned and
practiced.
6. Teach study skills: Studying for a test can be scary for young
kids, and many educators assume parents will help their kids during
the grade-school years. Introducing your child to study skills now
will pay off with good learning habits throughout life.
In elementary school, kids usually take end-of-unit tests in math,
spelling, science, and social studies. Be sure to know when a test is
scheduled so you can help your child study ahead of time rather than
just the night before. You also might need to remind your child to
bring home the right study materials, such as notes, study guides, or
books.
Teach your child how to break down overall tasks into smaller,
manageable chunks so preparing for a test isn’t overwhelming. You also
can introduce your child to tricks like mnemonic devices to help with
recalling information. Remember that taking a break after a 45-minute
study period is an important way to help kids process and remember
information.
Your child probably will be introduced to standardise testing in
elementary school. While students can’t really study for standardized
tests, some teachers provide practice tests to help ease students’
worries.
In general, if studying and testing becomes a source of stress for
your child, discuss the situation with the teacher or school
counsellor. To be continued
