The transition from preschool to primary school can be a challenging one, both for you as a parent and your child which makes it important to prepare for Primary School Teaching Strategies.
Children of 5-6 years are going through the preoperational stage of development, according to the sociologist Piaget.
The emotional and cognitive changes children go through at this age can sometimes create a barrier to effective communication, both academically and socially.
This, however, can easily be dealt with by preparing and informing your child beforehand of what to expect as they enter primary school.
Table of Contents
Research
You should first aim to get familiar with the traditional teaching methods used at a primary school.
Understanding the core teaching strategies that most teachers use will help in communicating them to your child.
Direct and interactive instructions are two of the most commonly used teaching strategies.
As the name suggests, direct instructions consist of direct lecturing, practice, and questions.
This is an example of explicit teaching strategies. Most children get overwhelmed by direct questioning.
Communicating this method to your child beforehand will help them have an idea of what to expect.
This way, your child will not get overwhelmed or confused and will most likely take part in class discussions, which ultimately connects us to the second method, interactive instructions.
Interactive instruction is a more discussion-oriented method. It focuses on communication, project work, and coordination among students.
Motivation
Young children often have short attention spans that make it difficult to focus. As their focus breaks off, so will their motivation to learn.
Studies have shown that motivated children are more likely to participate in class.
Hence, keeping your child motivated will not only keep them from being a disruption to their peers, but will also directly improve their learning.
Here are some things that you can try to encourage motivation and learning.
Positive Reinforcements
Using extrinsic motivators like praises and hugs can have a great impact on children and their motivation levels, as backed up by numerous child neurologists.
Other than actions of encouragement, rewarding activities can also go a long way.
Small treats, candies, or small breaks as rewards between homework will keep your child’s motivation and overall excitement to learn high.
Children are also encouraged to ask more questions when they get a positive response.
This will not only make them confident about their abilities, but they will be willing to take on new challenges as well.
If your child has a positive attitude towards learning, they will be more involved and eager to be a part of the learning process.
Encouraging Different Learning Styles
Every child’s learning methods are different and best suited to their cognitive abilities.
By finding out your child’s preferable approach to learning, you can assist them and improve the quality of their education.
So experiment different approaches — like visual, auditory, verbal, and social — with your child without being overbearing.
As your child sees your willingness to learn, they will reciprocate the same thing.
Focus On Strengths
Focusing on what your child is good at can go a long way in encouraging them to do better.
This is another type of positive reinforcement that boosts confidence and stirs up enthusiasm to do more.
On the other hand, if you focus on your child’s weaknesses, not only will that discourage them but will also create negative feelings, tension, and unnecessary pressure to improve, all of which can get too much for 5-6-year-olds.
Get Your Child Excited
Starting primary school can be exciting but intimidating for your child.
They might get discouraged or the day may not necessarily go as planned.
Planning something to look forward to during the time they are away from home can be a great way to keep them motivated.
Making fun and creative lunchtime meals is one example.
A creative homemade lunch will not only provide your child with the nutrients they need to get them through the day, but will also be a “brain break” for them from classroom learning.
This will ultimately help them focus better on their learning.
Reading
One of the first things that your child will be taught is how to read and understand simple sentences.
Reading books with them will help them develop the skill of listening and paying attention.
You can also encourage your child and get them excited for school by reading books about it.
This will encourage learning as well as create anticipation of entering a new academic and social environment.
