The day after tomorrow in Tajikistan marks the first day of the new school year – a serious test for hundreds of Tajik first-graders and their parents. To find out what parents of first-graders need to know so that studying brings them joy rather than burden, «Asia-Plus» spoke with an elementary school teacher with many years of experience, Nisso Durakulova.
How can parents help children adapt to new conditions?
Any child’s adaptation to school after kindergarten is a major stress, even if your little one is eager to learn.
Starting school fundamentally changes the life of a seven-year-old child. A new environment, new people, a new way of life – all of this puts him in unfamiliar conditions, so the future first-grader needs parental support.
First and foremost, parents should establish a new daily routine together with the child, which should be followed starting in early August so the child can get used to it. To prevent resistance, you need to involve him in the process.
For example, buy a large sheet of paper and bright markers and draw up a daily schedule together. The child should get used to waking up at 6 a.m., having breakfast, getting ready for school so that by 7:30 he is already at the assembly. And at 9 p.m. – bedtime to restore his strength.
The school, in turn, also helps the child adapt. Currently, many educational institutions in the republic have introduced a practice where first-graders attend school for two weeks in August in an informal setting.
Children get to know their teacher and classmates in a playful manner, they are explained the school rules, and a tour is conducted. If there used to be cases where children cried from confusion in the first days of school, such cases no longer occur.
How much time should first-graders spend on homework?
On average, the time allocated for homework is 45 minutes, maximum – one hour.
This time is quite sufficient to reinforce the material covered at school. If you force a child to study more, he will quickly get tired of it.
After he completes his homework, you need to play with him and encourage him. If parents force a first-grader to only study, there is a great risk that he will lose all interest in learning.
Should first-graders take a daytime nap?
Of course. After all, first-graders are still children who are not used to heavy mental loads.
Children get tired at school, so after they return home from classes and have lunch, it is better to let them rest and sleep for at least an hour. Sleep is an ideal helper in this matter.
How much time can a first-grader spend in front of a television and computer?
During school classes, we also use interactive boards and projectors for educational purposes, but their use does not exceed acceptable standards.
How much should a first-grader’s backpack weigh?
The weight of a backpack together with textbooks and other school supplies should not exceed one and a half kilograms. Otherwise, the school backpack will become an unbearable burden for a child’s spine. Parents should strictly monitor this.
In my practice, there have been cases when parents put all textbooks and notebooks in a child’s backpack – just in case, when only two notebooks and two textbooks would have been sufficient.
To avoid problems with vision, the nervous system, and other health issues, continuous use of gadgets, computers, or television by a first-grader should not exceed twenty minutes.
Should you send food to school with your child?
It is not advisable to send snacks to school – these are children, and they may forget to wash their hands before eating.
In the morning, a child should have a hearty and balanced breakfast, because at school he experiences mental strain.
Usually first-graders have only a couple of lessons a day, and classes end by 11 a.m., so he can have lunch at home after classes.
But there are children who have no appetite in the morning, no matter how hard parents try. In this case, you can send the child to school with a box of snacks – a banana, an apple, a drinking yogurt, for example. Otherwise, there is a risk that the child may faint, and his productivity may decrease due to hunger.
