7 Tips to ensure your child has a good experience in P1

Few things are more significant for a child than starting their first year in primary school in terms of educational milestones. Yes, preschool was their first time out of the house and in a classroom and secondary school comes with its own challenges to overcome. But primary school is where they will be exposed to the formal education system for the first time in their lives.

It’s therefore essential that they begin their academic journey in the best possible way. Which leads us to the question: how do we as parents secure a good experience for our children in Primary One?

Not just about grades

It may be tempting to push your child to focus solely on attaining academic success. After all, that’s what generations of students have been told to do to ensure a bright future. But this strategy may result in burnout, which would lead to a lack of motivation and interest in studying. The lack of variety may also affect their social skills and general knowledge of the world around them.

That’s why it’s important to understand that having a balance is the key to receiving a well-rounded education. This boils down to giving students a holistic mix of academic studies, sports, relaxation, and fun, especially for those in Primary One.

Tips and suggestions for a well-rounded education

Here are some suggestions to help give a child in P1 an excellent starting experience:

#1: Recognise possible blindspots in regular classes. It’s unreasonable to expect any school to provide the perfect education for your child, as everyone learns differently. Take some time to learn more about what your child is learning and how they receive that education. They may require some help to digest lessons taught in a particular manner.

#2: Shore up their learning gaps. If you find that they’re having difficulties understanding new concepts in school, it may be worth thinking about giving them access to an alternative way of learning – such as Geniebook, for instance. Sometimes, all it takes is a different environment and method of education to get your child engaged in learning.

#3: Let a child learn at their own pace. Parents may be tempted to ‘train’ their children academically by making them learn lessons taught in higher classes. While this strategy can work for some students, starting them off as early as Primary One is not the right way to do so. It’s more important that they learn to study through self-motivation and established routines than to pursue academic results right from the start.

#4: Make sure your child has ample playtime. It’s easy to forget that students in P1 are still fun-loving children at heart and that the transition to primary school may be their toughest challenge yet in their young lives. Give them enough time to explore their new environments and the room to play, especially with their peers. The freedom to do so will help them learn to cultivate interpersonal relationships, which is arguably even more important than their grades at their age.

#5: Be gently strict on limiting their screen time for online entertainment and video games. By the time they enter primary school, most children will be able to understand and expertly operate electronic devices. But that doesn’t mean they should be allowed to use them unsupervised. The devices can be addictive, and they may also negatively affect the child’s cognitive and behavioural functions. Adequate parental attention and guidance are still required at this age.

#6: Discover a child’s aptitude and nurture it. Now more than ever, parents and teachers believe that each student possesses a talent or particular interest in specific subjects or activities. It’s therefore necessary to create an atmosphere in which a Primary One student can explore various subjects, sports, elocution, reading and other such activities to discover their talents so that their parents and educators can take the necessary steps to develop them further in that regard.

#7: Devise an overall plan for giving a holistic experience in P1. Once parents have determined the best way to give their children a well-rounded experience, they should move on to creating a solid plan to execute it. Besides setting a balance between studying and play, this plan should also provide a routine for the child to follow, to help them get used to the concept of time management.

Conclusion

Giving a child a good experience in P1, therefore, means budgeting equal time for study and play to ensure a rounded experience. And because most of their time is now spent in school, both teachers and parents should work together to motivate and inspire students to study well.

Sometimes, giving your child a rounded education means supplementing their regular classes with further academic help. Fortunately, online learning has gained immense popularity in recent years. The pedagogies associated with online education are much more refined than before.

One such outlet for high-quality online education lies in Geniebook, developed specifically for kids from Primary 1 to Secondary 4. Featuring the latest innovations and technology, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, Geniebook’s suite of online learning tools – GenieSmart, GenieClass, and GenieAsk – are specially designed to offer students an engaging way to learn no matter where they are in the world.

To learn more about Geniebook, click on the banner below for a complimentary strengths analysis to examine your child’s academic strengths and learning gaps.