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It’s a brand new school year, and you’d want to give your child the best possible support so that he can surpass all the academic challenges that come his way. To help you in doing so, we asked two educators—Tina Zamora, directress of Nest School for Whole Child Development, and Jeannie Castillo, founder and director ofKindermusik—for advice on how to make this school year the best ever for your child!
1. Prepare your child for school sufficiently. Teacher Tina says, “Rushing to school may lead to more anxiety for you and your child. Take time to prepare all he needs the night before. Mornings should be more peaceful and calm for a better school send-off.” Establishing routines will definitely help. Says Teacher Jeannie, “Our kids can be most successful when stable routines are in place to help provide a sense of security and consistency. Be sure to set and honor clear schedules for sleep time, waking time, meal time, study time, play time, etc.”
The students of the Nest School
2. Make learning fun for your child. “Whether your child is headed to preschool or big school, try to make the rituals associated with school as positive and as healthy as possible,” says Teacher Jeannie. “Try to help build excitement for learning topics by asking questions and sharing stories during family dinner conversations, providing creative help and support in your child’s homework, and pursuing added enrichment activities at home and after school to enhance learning. Avoid placing unnecessary pressure or stress on your child to perform, but rather, nurture good study habits, celebrate achievements, and encourage your child to always do his best.”
Teacher Tina and the staff and faculty of the Nest School
3. Partner with your child’s school and teacher. Stay on top of all school communications, says Teacher Jeannie. Attend orientations, check your child’s notebooks and school circulars, and meet with your child’s teachers throughout the year. Teacher Tina reminds parents that information provided by teachers is crucial in understanding your child more. In the same way, Teacher Jeannie says, “Share important information with your child’s teachers to help them get to know your child and your family well. Having a healthy and collaborative home to school relationship is vital in helping provide a supportive environment for your child both at school and at home.”
4. Always ask your child about what he did school. This is one way of keeping the communication lines open between you and your child, says Teacher Tina, even if your child’s answer is ‘Nothing’ or ‘We just played.’ If you want to get your child to share more, she suggests: “Try asking more direct questions like ‘What was your favorite part of the day?’ or ‘Who did you play with at the playground?’”
5. Provide a healthy balance between academics and extracurricular activities. Some parents overbook their kids in tutorials and advanced classes causing stress and fatigue on the young ones. Teacher Tina encourages parents to look for other activities for their children like engaging in sports, making music, playing at home, or reading a book. Teacher Jeannie says, “Children who have an opportunity to express themselves creatively, and channel their energy productively, are better able to perform in school by exhibiting increased self-confidence, stronger social skills, and a generally healthy attitude toward learning. Music, in particular, has been proven to help stimulate every part of the brain needed for total learning, including math, language, abstract thinking, and problem-solving, so getting your children into any activity that involves music can be a great way to kick-start and nurture long-term learning success.”
6. If you have issues with the school, go through the proper channels. Never discuss it with your child. Give your feedback to the teacher and the school administrators. Teacher Tina explains, “There is no perfect school and your thoughts are important. However, if your child always hears negative things about school, he may imbibe these and not be eager to go to school at all.”
Giving your child 100 percent support will go a long way towards steering him towards academic success
7. Love your child unconditionally. “As the school year goes by, days are bound to get stressed from time to time, and like anything in life, challenges may arise. What’s important to remember always is that your unconditional love as a parent, and your bond as a family, is the best advantage your child will ever have in life,” says Teacher Jeannie. “Providing a loving, nurturing and safe place to come home to every day is the glue that will ultimately help lay the foundation for your child’s most formative years. Talk with your child often, be present for your child when they are home, and let them know every day that you love them and are always in their corner rooting for them. As the saying goes, ‘There are two gifts we should give our children; one is roots and the other is wings.’ We do our best to provide a happy, healthy nest at home, so that our children can ultimately take off, spread their wings, and fly.”
Teacher Tina Zamora is the directress of Nest School for Whole Child Development, a progressive school offering preschool and elementary education founded in 2001. She has spearheaded the school to be one of the leading progressive schools in the country. She is an expert in the field of early childhood education and the progressive stream of education. She blogs about progressive education athttps://teachertina.net/.
Teacher Jeannie Castillo is a U.S.-trained and licensed Kindermusik educator, as well as the founder and director of Kindermusik Philippines. Since Teacher Jeannie began her program in 2003, she has taught thousands of children from birth to age seven.
Images of Nest School from Nest School’s Facebook page
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