By Justin Smith, Mathnasium Instructor
Summer is coming to a close, which means it’s time to wrap up your family vacations and start planning to go back to school. For many children, this is a tough time of year — the time when their fun and games come to an end. But that doesn’t have to be the case. Yes, school means homework and waking up early and going to classes, but it also means seeing friends more often, sports, and extracurricular activities. First and foremost, however, is the purpose of school in the first place: learning. Over the summer months, a lot of important foundational information can be lost. Here are a few ways to ensure that your child is ready for the new school year.
1. Be Excited!
I know. It’s sometimes easier said than done. But a simple way to remind kids that there are things to be excited about is simply to ask them what they’re most excited about in the new school year. Maybe it’s new teachers, who they’ve heard rumors and rumblings about throughout the school, or from older siblings. Maybe it’s new classmates and a new seating chart, and the possibility of making new friends. Perhaps the most exciting thing is a specific class, whether it be gym class or mathematics. The trick is framing the question so that it is assumed they’re already excited, rather than just asking, “are you excited?” which can lead to fear-based thinking.
2. Recap Last Year’s Learning
Knowledge often builds on itself, and it can be difficult to learn new concepts if you’ve forgotten the ones that come before. This is particularly true in math. You can say I’m biased. I am a math tutor, writing this for a Math website… but it’s true! Math is one of the most difficult subjects for many students to learn, mainly due to the cumulative nature of the material. If a concept isn’t truly learned and understood, not merely “memorized,” it will be forgotten. And if the information is forgotten, the more advanced maths will be nearly impossible to master. It’s possible that the school or teachers will provide “recap” study guides on the first day of school, but this can be overwhelming and disheartening for kids as they realize exactly how much knowledge they’ve forgotten. The most difficult time to learn new material is when you lack confidence in your own abilities.
I would suggest, for younger kids, to simply work math problems into daily life. While cooking, while driving, while looking at clocks… Math is everywhere, and can be mentioned casually without being too obvious. “How long until we need to leave?” “How much milk is left in the gallon?”
If this is impractical, or if your kids have caught on to your wily ways, it may be time to head to a math learning center to make sure the foundation and confidence are present.
3. Organize School Supplies
I know when I was a kid, one of my favorite activities was back to school shopping, followed by organizing (and labeling) all of my supplies. Maybe that’s a “me” thing, but I know I built a lot of excitement for the new school year by picking out folders for specific classes, color-coordinating specific binders with specific subjects, and writing my name on all of my writing utensils, scissors, and other supplies. My brother and sisters would all sit with me at the kitchen table and we went to work, sorting and organizing and talking about what we were most excited about in the new school year. It’s simple, but effective.
4. Address Concerns
Not all children are going to be excited to be going back to school. Even the kids who are excited probably have some reservations. It’s never a bad idea to sit down and have an open and honest discussion about what kids liked in the past school year, what they thought they did extremely well, and what they think they might be able to improve upon. Setting simple goals can make school seem less intimidating and make the school year as a whole seem surmountable. What those goals are will vary greatly from child to child, but it can be as simple as getting homework done to as ambitious as attaining an A on the first test in every subject. You and your children can (obviously) work together to see what will be best for each student. If your child is afraid, or nervous, or shy, this is a great time to set goals toward those fears as well. “On the first day, talk to one person you don’t know, even if it’s just saying hello.” Little steps, a day at a time, add up to major gains.
And that’s all for now! You can come up with your own tips and tricks, and find out what works for you and for your children. School is just around the corner, along with a whole year of learning, friends, and fun!
Learn more about how the Mathnasium Method builds confidence and makes math fun and easy to learn.
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