We all want our children to do well at school, but the truth is that it can be tough to know how best to support your little one without pushing too hard or putting unnecessary pressure on them. Whether your youngster has just started nursery or they’re already in primary school, there are lots of ways to develop their potential and learning at home and in the classroom.
Below, we’ve put together three strategies to help you point your kids in the right directions.
Play games together
Youngsters are hard-wired to play and seek fun, so make sure learning is enjoyable both when they’re at home and in school. There are so many ways that you can teach your kids new skills, practise good manners and foster emotional literacy - by spending time together and learning as you play, you’ll create engaged, inquisitive children who want to do well.
There are so many ways that you can build playtime into your everyday routines: reading together on an evening before bed, watching cartoons and asking about the characters and lessons learned along the way, and even playing free online kids games like the ones on the Everything’s Rosie website. By keeping it light and ensuring your little ones are in charge at all times, they’ll learn without realising, and will no doubt perform better at school as a result.
Let them fail
It’s really important to teach your children the value of failure. The truth is that they can’t win at all times, and they won’t always get answers to questions correctly. Failure is a necessary component of success, and learning how to handle failure, mistakes and knockbacks will teach courage, strength and wisdom. Let failure happen naturally at home, and explain to them that sometimes things won’t go their way. They’ll discover that learning new skills and information will make them confident in answering questions and perform better on tests.
Whether they’ve made a mistake at home or had some feedback from the school, it’s worth talking about what went wrong and offering tips on how they might do things differently next time. It could also be useful to talk about your mistakes or failures and explain to them that those moments are part of life and helped you learn. It’s unhealthy for kids to be scared to make mistakes: be supportive, ensure mistakes don’t knock their confidence and don’t put too much pressure on them, whether it’s a school test or a colouring-in sheet at home.
Embrace their passions
The best way to inspire learning and confidence is to embrace your little ones’ passions, whether it’s drawing, competing in sports, or performing. It’s pointless impressing your own thoughts and ideas onto your child - let them figure out what makes them smile and gets them excited, and run with it. Though it might be tempting to sign your child up for classes and courses to build their confidence, it’s better to get to know their interests and grow and develop them together. Watch them play, ask open-ended questions, and encourage them to express themselves and their individuality. Freedom could make your child a better learner.
Once you’ve helped them find their passion, make the most of it. Sign them up for classes and courses, buy books and accessories, and let them learn and grow on their terms. They’ll thank you for it in the long run; creating an outlet where they can be themselves is vital for personal growth and will help them in and out of the classroom. Hobbies are so important!
Do you have any strategies for supporting your children as they head off to school? Let us know on social media and check back to the Everything’s Rosie website soon for the latest.