The beginning of autumn for many parents was marked by a solemn event: the baby went to first grade. Usually, both children and parents prepare for this for a long time and hard: they attend preparatory courses and classes, undergo diagnostics for psychological readiness for school. However, the transition from preschool life to school does not always go smoothly, as it is accompanied by psychological and social problems. A first-grader has a new daily routine, duties, which often causes fatigue, irritability, capriciousness, disobedience. How long this difficult period will last is impossible to say unequivocally, in each family it is individual. An atmosphere should reign in the family that will help the child to integrate into school life as comfortably as possible, succeeding in the field of knowledge. After all, if you do not support a first-grader in time, then the negative of the first difficulties at school can develop into a persistent dislike for learning. How to help a little student get used to school as soon as possible, read in this article.
Adaptation to school
Adaptation to school is the transition of the child to systematic schooling and getting used to school conditions. Each first grader experiences this period in his own way. Before school, most of the children attended kindergarten, where every day was filled with games and play activities, walks, and daytime sleep and a leisurely daily routine did not let the kids get tired. At school, everything is different: new requirements, an intensive regimen, the need to keep up with everything. How to adapt to them? This requires strength and time, and most importantly - the understanding of parents that this is necessary.
It is generally accepted that the adaptation of a first-grader lasts from the first 10-15 days to several months. This is influenced by many factors, such as the specifics of the school, and its level of readiness for school, the volume of workload and the level of complexity of the educational process, and others. And here you can not do without the help of a teacher and relatives: parents and grandparents.
Difficulties
Teach your child how to communicate with classmates. Explain how important it is to be polite, attentive to peers - and communication at school will only be a joy.
Psychological
For successful psychological adaptation, a friendly and calm atmosphere in the family is important. Do not forget to rest, play calm games, walk.
- Create an atmosphere of well-being in the family. Love the child.
- Build your child's self-esteem.
- Do not forget that your child is a value in itself for parents.
- Be interested in the school, ask the child about the events of each day.
- Spend time with your child after school.
- Do not allow physical measures to influence the child.
- Consider the character and temperament of the child - only an individual approach. Observe what he does better and faster, and where help should be given, prompted.
- Give the first grader independence in organizing their own learning activities. Control appropriately.
- Encourage the student for various successes - not only for academic ones. Encourage him to reach his goals.
Physiological
During the period of adaptation to school, the child's body is exposed to stress. Medical statistics show that among first-graders there are always children who lose weight as soon as they study the first quarter, some children have low blood pressure, and some have high blood pressure. Headaches, whims, neurotic states are not a complete list of physiological problems that can happen to your child.
Before you reproach the child for being lazy and shirking from school duties, remember what health problems he has. Nothing complicated - just be attentive to your baby.
What to advise the parents of a first-grader from a physiological point of view?
- Form a first grader's daily routine, different from the preschooler's daily routine, gradually.
- Make it a rule to follow the change of activities at home.
- Do not forget about regular physical education minutes when doing homework.
- Make sure the student's posture is correct.
- Properly illuminate the place where the child does homework.
- Follow the correct nutrition of the first grader. On the recommendation of a doctor - give vitamin preparations.
- Activate the physical activity of the child,.
- Adhere to the rules of healthy sleep for the child - at least 9.5 hours.
- Limit your viewing of TV shows and computer games.
- Cultivate a child's will and independence.
"This is interesting! The norm for doing homework with a first grader is 40 minutes.
Social
Children who have not attended kindergarten may have difficulty communicating with classmates. In kindergarten, the child goes through a process of socialization, where he acquires communication skills and ways to build relationships in a team. At school, the teacher does not always pay attention to this. That is why your child will again need the help of parents.
Be attentive to your child's messages about his relationships with classmates. Try to help with good advice, look for the answer in the psychological and pedagogical literature. Try to tell him how to overcome the conflict situation. Support the parents of those children with whom your baby has a relationship. Notify the teacher of disturbing situations. Remember how important it is to protect your own child, as well as teach him to overcome obstacles himself.
Teach your child to be a person: to have their own opinion, to prove it, but to be tolerant of the opinions of others.
The Golden Rule of Education. A child needs love most at the time when he least deserves it.
So, if you have become a happy parent of a first grader, then simple tips will help you on how to easily survive such a crucial moment as adaptation to school:
Do not disregard such a crucial moment as the beginning of school life. Help your child to overcome the period of adaptation to school, support him, provide the necessary conditions for living and learning, and see how easily he will learn and how his abilities will be revealed.
Any events are important
In this crucial period in the life of a student, the period of adaptation to school, parents should be especially attentive to their child. The events that take place in his life are new to him and represent a considerable burden for the unseasoned psyche. Perhaps that is why, you notice, your child is so tired, and that joyful excitement that accompanied school visits in the early days
September, rather quickly gives way to a noticeable despondency. Some problems may arise with a first-grader and with peers, and a child who has been with his mother all his life, in "greenhouse conditions", has no experience in solving these problems; he quarreled with someone or even got into a fight, and now he is confused, depressed, he, of course, has no mood, and what fascinated yesterday is completely uninteresting today, the whole world appears to him in gray tones ... And here it is the intervention of an attentive mother is necessary.
Having tactfully found out the reason for the mood that has changed for the worse (one child will tell about his troubles immediately, as soon as his mother begins to question him, the other will hide his problems in himself, but since he needs the help of an adult and must understand this, he will not to hide for a long time), the mother should reassure the child and offer several options for his worthy behavior and, accordingly, several options for the development of the situation; and let the child choose and try to realize the one that he likes best.
Sometimes children, faced with “insoluble” problems at school, experience them so deeply that they even begin to feel bad. Therefore, it is so important to notice in time that the child does not seem to be all right.
Facilitate adaptation to school
Getting used to, or otherwise adapting, a child to school is a rather lengthy process, and for many children, especially “homemade”, as well as for overly impressionable and vulnerable ones, for owners of the so-called artistic nature, it is quite difficult. And the child should be helped to adapt.
How to do this?.. Talk more often with a child about school, about its great significance, about the fact that even if it is difficult at school, but without a school, a modern person is nowhere; in your free time, take a walk with your child near the school, talk with him about new friends, if necessary, help with advice - how to get out of a difficult (conflict) situation; you can talk about your past relationship with the school, about your difficulties and successes, so that the child has the opportunity to compare and so that he can once again feel like a person in society (anyone is supported by the knowledge that everyone experiences the same difficulties). One of the parents should help the child organize a workplace at home: textbooks should be in this desk drawer, and notebooks in this; what is needed at work now should be neatly laid out on the table, and not dumped in a heap. Of course, mother will sign notebooks in beautiful handwriting, and wrap textbooks with thick paper, and put things in order in the pencil case, and pin a pretty badge to the satchel ... moreover, the child should see everything that she does; observing, he learns, joins and, of course, strengthens his spirit, gradually adapts.
Correct attitude to the marks of children
In some schools, at the beginning of the first year of study, the child is not given marks at all. Then a system of marks is introduced, but they treat the marks more as manifestations of a certain game. In general, the beginning of a child's education at school is more of a game than a serious responsible matter. And rightly so: a game for a child is the most harmonious and effective way of gaining knowledge. The teacher puts marks rather for himself than for the child and his parents. Therefore, the attitude of parents to marks should be appropriate.
If a child receives the highest marks, you can rejoice a little at his success, but do not exalt your child to heaven, do not sit him in the "red" corner and do not bow to him; if the marks, to put it mildly, leave much to be desired, then you should not grab your head, panic, and even more so scold and punish the child; you can only be defiantly sad - this reaction of yours will be enough for the young schoolboy to figure out what's what and draw conclusions (if you don't want to upset your beloved mother - try).
Those parents who encourage their child financially do wrong: they give money for good grades, give expensive gifts; there is no doubt that this method of encouragement is effective, but it is nothing more than the beginning of the path of educating a selfish, hypocritical person; having become adept at “earning” good grades (the trickster will be interested in grades, not knowledge), the child will “buy” everything he needs from his parents; he will even enter into some kind of contracts with his parents, and in the end, the learning process may turn into a bargain (if you do not allow me to play on the computer for another hour, I will not teach lessons today).
Democracy at home
Parents who want to raise a real strong personality in their child should strive to establish democratic relations in their home. It is very important for a child to feel respect from parents; from time to time he needs to demonstrate that he is not the last member of the family (whose place in the family hierarchy is somewhere between the older brother and the dog), that he is equal to others, the most respected, and can enjoy equal rights with others (but do not forget also has responsibilities).
The moral superiority that parents and other senior family members have, the richness of their life experience, should be aimed at achieving true authority. Without such authority, democratic order in the family is impossible.
Times change...
A well-known wisdom attributed to the Frankish emperor Lothair (9th century AD) is: "Teshroga mutantur et nos mutamur in illis", which means: "Times change, and we change in them." The fact that times are changing, we can see even during our not very long life. And we must draw certain conclusions. Children change over time, and so do their interests. What was interesting in childhood to parents, and even more so to grandparents, is unlikely to greatly captivate today's children. It is hard to imagine, for example, that our children would play “grandmothers” or “bast shoes” in the yard for days on end, or throw copper nickels at the wall with passion. Times have changed, and opportunities have changed. Give your children a "set-top box" to the TV, or even better - a computer with a sea of spilled electronic games ... Some parents, nostalgically recalling their own happy childhood, are trying to teach their children the games in which they themselves developed, and attach them to those values to which once joined. But their efforts in this direction do not have much success, other parents, showing perseverance, downright plant the so-called stereotypes of their childhood on the child.
They believe that their child will certainly grow up as a good person (and just as experienced, wise, hardened in the face of life's difficulties, like themselves), if they go through exactly the steps they once went through. However, it is not. He, of course, will grow up to be a good person, worthy of his parents, if the parents show flexibility, if they systematically deal with their child, if they take into account that with the change of times there is a reassessment of values, if they understand that their child (this new generation in general) will have to go through its own steps.
From parents who love their baby and want to have a really positive influence on him, it is required, calling for help with their high moral qualities, using their considerable life experience, their intellect, to help the child distinguish true values from false ones - how to move along with him along his steps, to secure him.
Build trust with your children
Relations with the child must be established by all means trusting. With whom else, besides the closest relatives, can a child have such a relationship? .. Meanwhile, the child often needs sincere communication; some problems that he has, he is unable to solve on his own; he needs the advice and active participation of an experienced person - his mother. And if for some reason a child does not have a trusting relationship with his mother, then it is almost impossible for him to get rid of his problems, he is forced to suffer under their burden. Confidence in relationships is achieved by the constant goodwill of the mother, her affection, respect for the child, active attention, etc.
The child must be sure that if he turns to his mother for help, all his difficulties will be quickly and in the best way eliminated.
Do not insult the child with suspicion
The child must be sure that the parents trust him completely. If a child does not have such confidence, if he has to ask permission for every little thing, then he is unlikely to become an independent person. A child who feels that his parents, who are too vigilant and control his every step, suspect him of committing some unworthy acts, “guard” such acts, cannot get rid of the guilt complex, even if there is no guilt; over time, he gets used to the guilt complex, and this habit is not reflected in the psychological profile of the child in the most favorable way - to the extent that it is precisely what moves the child to those unworthy acts (in other words: what they were afraid of, that’s what they waited for). One of the conditions for the normal mental development of a child is the confidence that his parents respect him. But isn't respect manifested in trust?.. Without the trust of parents, a child cannot feel free, cannot fully respect himself.
ADAPTATION OF THE CHILD TO SCHOOL
The transition from preschool childhood to school life is one of the turning points in the mental development of the child. This is a serious test for most children, associated with a drastic change in the whole way of life. They must get used to the team, to new requirements, to everyday duties.
The leading activity of a preschooler is a game. It is a voluntary activity. Having crossed the threshold of the school, the child must move on to the activity of learning,changing the motives of behavior. This activity, in comparison with play, makes new demands on the development of the child, a new type of his relationship both in the family and at school.
The beginning of schooling coincides with intensive mental development. There is a formation of cognitive activity, various types of memory, verbal and logical thinking develop.
Thus, entering the first grade, the child begins a new life. Now he has a new social status - he is a student. As a rule, children strive to become schoolchildren: they go to school with great interest and readiness to complete educational tasks. But for many of them, the school requirements are too difficult and the routine is too strict. For these children, the transition to school can be traumatic.
Adaptation is a natural state of a person, manifested in fixture(accustoming) to new conditions of life, new activities, new social contacts, new social roles. The meaning of this entry period into a life situation unusual for children is manifested in the fact that not only success depends on its course learning activities, but also the comfort of being at school, and most importantly, the health of the child, his attitude to school and learning.
The process of adapting a child to school can be divided into several stages, each of which has its own characteristics.
First stage - indicative, characterized violent reaction and significant stress in almost all body systems. Lasts two to three weeks.
Second phase - an unstable adaptation, when the body seeks and finds some optimal options for reactions to these influences. At the second stage, costs are reduced, the violent reaction begins to subside.
Third stage - a period of relatively stable adaptation, when the body finds the most suitable options for responding to the load, requiring less stress on all systems. The possibilities of the child's body are far from limitless, and prolonged stress and the overwork associated with it can cost the child's body health.
There are groups of children who give
easy adaptation, moderate and heavy.
First group children adapt to school during the first two months of training. These children relatively quickly join the team, get used to school, make new friends in the class; they almost always have a good mood, they are benevolent, conscientiously and without visible tension fulfill all the requirements of the teacher. Sometimes they have difficulties either in contacts with children or in relations with the teacher, since it is still difficult for them to fulfill all the requirements of the rules of conduct. But by the end of October, there is a development with a new status of a student, and with new requirements, and with a new regime. This light form of adaptation.
Second group children has a long period of adaptation, the period of non-compliance of their behavior with the requirements of the school is delayed: children cannot accept the situation of learning, communication with the teacher, children. As a rule, these children experience difficulties in mastering the curriculum. Only by the end of the first half of the year, the reactions of these children become adequate to the school requirements. This is the shape middle gravity adaptation.
Third group - children whose social and psychological adaptation is associated with significant difficulties; in addition, they do not assimilate the curriculum, they have negative forms of behavior, a sharp manifestation of negative emotions. It is these children that teachers and parents most often complain about. This heavy form of adaptation. Constant failure in studies, lack of contact with the teacher create alienation and negative attitudes of peers. Among these children there may be those who need special treatment - students with neuropsychiatric disorders, but there may also be students who are not ready for learning. If you do not understand the causes of bad behavior in time, do not correct the difficulties of adaptation, then all together can lead to a breakdown, further developmental delay and adversely affect the child's health. One way or another, bad behavior is an alarm signal, a reason to take a closer look at the student and, together with parents, understand the reasons for the difficulty of adapting to school.
Adaptation of children begins at preschool age and is defined by the term "introducing the child to school life". Every child needs to attend preschool (preschool educational institution). It is in kindergarten that children acquire communication experience, skills of their own initiative, and become familiar with cultural values. Preschool education provides the foundation for the development of the child, which will allow him to further master different areas of knowledge.
Everyone knows that on the basis of many schools, structural units for pre-school education of children have been opened (our parents call it “kindergarten at the school”), one of the goals of which issuccessful adaptation of the child to school.Graduates of the structural unit are well adapted to all conditions of the school. They have wonderful spacious playrooms, bedrooms, classrooms. They are regular visitors to the assembly and sports halls, music class. The school corridor - their way to the cafeteria - is also familiar to them. Primary school teachers have an excellent opportunity to communicate with their future students and their parents, to work closely with the educators of the structural unit.
My current students (14 people) are the first graduates of our kindergarten at the school. For a more successful adaptation, I got to know the children in advance: I attended their classes, chose a program that was as close as possible to the one they were studying, invited the children to my class, met with parents at meetings, held open classes with children and their parents. This is a huge job, but thanks to the cooperation of educators, primary school teachers and an educational psychologist, it was easy.
I would like to note that in almost all children the adaptation took place in a mild form, and only in a few - in the middle. This is the first time in my teaching practice. Preschoolers who came to our class from other kindergartens (4 people) easily joined the team, but their adaptation was a little difficult. Most importantly, the incidence of children from the structural unit is much lower than that of graduates of other kindergartens, because the children have already adapted to the new conditions and to each other. And the health of children, both physical and mental, is the basis of successful schooling, which is dear to every parent and teacher.
When a child goes to first grade, it seems to adults that the beginning of school life will be remembered by him as one of the most joyful, happy and bright events in his life. Undoubtedly, every kid is in a hurry to proudly try on the role of a first grader, but very often it turns out that school rules and regulations are far from being as joyful and interesting as he would like.
Changes in the usual way of life is a rather stressful situation. Especially strongly this situation can affect the psyche, mood and well-being of the child. When a child realizes that instead of playing games, watching cartoons and walking, he has to sit in class, do homework and prepare for a new school day, the role of a first grader no longer seems to him as attractive as before. In children, any discomfort is often expressed in psychosomatic symptoms. If a child does not like something, he may start to get sick, act up or withdraw into himself. All this, as a result, leads to poor school performance and a loss of interest in learning.
How to adapt a child to school?
Only parents can help the child feel comfortable in the school environment. No matter how professional and attentive the teacher is, the child's attitude to school is largely formed on the basis of the parental example. If parents put the child's progress above all else and believe that they can achieve results only through strictness, prohibition and punishment, the process of adapting a first grader to school can drag on for many months. If parents can properly motivate the child and instill in him an interest in learning, adaptation to a new life will be easy and almost imperceptible.
Getting ready for school
When telling your child about school, do not try to embellish reality too much. The child should know that the school will open the door to a new life for him, where he will find his friends, learn to be an adult, independent, strong and smart. But at the same time, the kid must understand that in order to succeed, he will need to show discipline, perseverance and attentiveness. Try to involve the future first-grader in preparation for school life as early as possible. When buying stationery, school clothes and organizing a school place, be interested in his opinion. The sooner the child begins to show independence, the easier it will be for him to get used to school life.
Dose study
With the advent of the first of September, the child's lifestyle changes dramatically. And even if the child is already accustomed to discipline, attended kindergarten or various circles, school life greatly increases his usual workload. After spending several hours at a desk, the kid simply cannot concentrate on learning new information. Therefore, after school, take a short walk in the fresh air and let the child do what he wants for some time. But at the same time, don't delay doing your homework. If it is difficult for a child to complete the entire amount of exercises at one time, break this process into several parts. But do it in such a way that the baby has time for a good rest.
Schedule
A properly planned schedule is the basis of discipline, as well as good mental and physical well-being. Becoming a schoolboy, the child has to get up earlier and, accordingly, go to bed earlier. However, switching to a new schedule is not as easy as it seems. It is best to teach your child to get up early a few weeks before the beginning of September. However, for this process to be painless, it must be done gradually. Every three days, wake your baby up 10 minutes earlier than he is used to waking up. On school days, make a visual full-fledged schedule for your child. Write down how much time he can devote to training, how much to games, and how much to study. You can additionally purchase a toy timer or hourglass, thanks to which the child will clearly see where his time goes. It is also very important that the child realizes the value of his time. Explain to him that the more he is capricious and indulges in the process of completing the lessons, the less time he will be able to spend on his favorite activities.
Proper nutrition
Mastering new knowledge, the child spends a lot of energy, which can only be replenished by a balanced diet. Make sure your child gets all the necessary elements in the right amount. And most importantly - accustom him to a full healthy breakfast. Parents in this matter also need to set their own example for the baby. It is unlikely that a child will want to have oatmeal for breakfast if someone at this time prefers to eat a sausage sandwich.
Do not restrict your child's physical activity
With the beginning of school life, the physical activity of children drops sharply. Sitting at a desk for many hours does not have a very favorable effect on the future health and well-being of the child. And besides, a sedentary lifestyle is simply unbearable for hyperactive children. Ideally, several times a week, the student should attend some kind of sports section, dance classes or go swimming in the pool. If this is not possible, firstly, do exercises with your child every day, secondly, walk in the fresh air and walk more often, and thirdly, devote the weekend to active recreation.
Don't scold your child for mistakes
Excessive demands on the child's academic performance can develop an inferiority complex in him. If a child is having a hard time with something, that's fine. In this situation, you must help the baby make every effort to learn it, but in no case reduce the upbringing process to punishment. Also, never punish a first grader in the event of a conflict with classmates or a teacher until you find out all the details. If it turns out that the child was to blame for the conflict, just explain to him his mistake. In any situation, the child should feel your support.
A child's adjustment to school will be much easier if he feels that you are proud of him, despite his grades, behavior and academic performance. Only thanks to parental understanding and care, a first-grader will be able to believe in himself and happily plunge into a new stage of his life.
Surely there are no parents who would not be interested in how their first-grader adapts to a new life - lessons at school. Contact with peers and the teacher, the level of academic performance and interest in knowledge, fatigue and poor sleep are all elements of adaptation, that is, the student's getting used to school.
What should adults know about the indicators of such adaptation, its features and their role in this process? Let's try to figure it out.
Indicators of a good psychological adaptation of a child to the first grade are when he goes to school with pleasure, prepares lessons with pleasure and patience, regularly and sincerely tells his parents about all school events and activities. If the reaction to school is the opposite, then this is evidence of poor psychological adaptation of the first-grader to school and a signal for parents that indicates that the child needs their help.
Both dad and mom should delve into the problems that the first grader talks about. If he does not want to talk about school at all, then you should correctly find out the reasons for such unwillingness, perhaps go to school and talk with the teacher.
It is impossible during the adaptation period to raise your voice to the child, and even more so to ridicule and shame him. Parents are fundamentally wrong, who at this time cite other students as an example who are better able to cope with the learning process. After such comparisons, children, as a rule, withdraw into themselves even more and do not want to share their feelings and anxieties with their parents. And they can harbor hatred towards their classmates, who, according to their parents, cope with everything at school, teach English, and go to music school.
Support and praise, a calm tone of communication with first-graders should be inherent in their parents. Children, feeling the support of their parents, cope better with psychological adaptation, demonstrate success, although not significant. They should always be encouraged and noticed. The phrase “I’ll look later” or “I don’t have time” should not be in the vocabulary of the parents of first-graders. Praise the child for what he has learned, what he has read, in what he has improved.
Help the little student if he can't cope. Find time to show, explain, but do not do tasks instead of the child. Build self-reliance skills.
The physiological adaptation of a student to school is the physical adaptation of their body to a new rhythm and stress. This type of adaptation is divided into several stages:
- Physiological storm. The period lasts the first two to three weeks. At this time, the child's body responds to all the loads and innovations with the tension of all its systems. This means that the child spends most of the energy resources of the body. This explains the trend of frequent illnesses among schoolchildren in September, especially first-graders.
- Unstable fixture. The child's body finds acceptable reactions to new conditions.
- Relatively stable fixture. During this period, the body of a first-grader reacts to loads with less stress.
Both parents and teachers tend to underestimate the complexity of the physiological adaptation of children to school. And, nevertheless, according to the observations of doctors, many children lose weight by the end of the first quarter in the first grade, some have a decrease (increase) in blood pressure, headaches. And these are clear signs of overwork, which are most often observed in the first quarter. The difficulty of physiological adaptation to school can also be manifested by the capriciousness of children.
Signs of successful adaptation of the child to school are:
- Satisfaction with the learning process: he feels good at school, he goes there with pleasure.
- Success in mastering the program. If it is traditional, and the student experiences learning difficulties, then parental and, possibly, the support of a psychologist is indispensable.
- The level of independence of the first-grader in the performance of tasks. Often parents show excessive zeal and control, the habit of preparing lessons together for a long time is fixed in the child.
- Satisfaction with interpersonal relationships. This refers to the contact with the teacher and classmates, which is very important for further success and support the desire to learn.
Stress and adaptation of the child to school
Quite often, first-graders experience stress during the period of adaptation to school. And children who have not attended kindergarten are especially susceptible to this. First graders experience three types of stress:
- Social. This is manifested in the formation of relationships with classmates, the teacher.
- Intellectual. It manifests itself with intellectual loads and the assimilation of new knowledge.
- Immunological. At the age of seven, children undergo physiological changes in the body, which in itself leads to fatigue and mood swings. And the consequence of this are diseases of strong and healthy children, which are sometimes provoked by the natural exchange of bacteria between classmates.
In order to alleviate all these types of stress, parents should follow certain recommendations developed by psychologists and pediatricians:
- Dream. Seven-year-old children need to sleep 10-11 hours a day. At this age, especially in the first half of the school year, daytime sleep is also possible.
- Walks and exercise. The best rest is a change of activity, so mental activity must be combined with motor activity. Enrolling in a swimming pool, a sports club will make it easier to survive adaptation at school. Doctors advise first graders to spend at least two hours a day outdoors.
- Lesson preparation should be carried out in such a way that after 30 minutes of uninterrupted training, there is a 15-minute break. The peak activity of the brain of children in the first grade falls on 9-12 hours and 16-18 hours. This time should be taken into account by parents when organizing the daily routine.
Adaptation of children with mental retardation to school
Children with mental retardation will be easier to adapt to the first grade when they are taught in an educational program that suits their abilities. We are talking about special correctional programs.
Teaching such children according to the programs of mass general education schools in most cases leads to school maladaptation, especially in the first year of education. School maladaptation is the inability of a student to master the program and behavioral disorders. Such a child perceives himself as a loser. Therefore, the leading role in the normal adaptation of such children to the first grade is played by the organization of their education according to a feasible educational program.
It should be noted that children with mental retardation, according to studies, make up approximately 50% of poor first graders. Schools and classes of correctional and developmental education have been created for such children.
Adapting to a new school
Getting used to a new school, the need to change which is often due to family circumstances, is a strong emotional stress at any age. The transition to another school is always associated with many questions that concern the student: "How will I be perceived in the class?", "Will I like the new teachers?". And at first, the child will definitely compare the old school with the new one. When friends remained there, it will not be easy for a student, even a successful one, to adapt. Therefore, his parents need attention and help in getting used to.
You can, for example, invite new classmates home. Walking and spending time with them should be encouraged.
The problem may be a difference in programs or requirements. Therefore, parents at this time require support and patience, attention to the mood of the child. Perhaps, for the period of adaptation, it will be acceptable to release him from household duties. If your student has become overly irritable, then treat this with understanding. Surely this is a protective reaction of the child's body to stress.
If the irritability is aggravated, for several months the child shows aggression, does not want to talk about the school, then you need to go to the class teacher or the school psychologist (better to both) and ask them for advice.
Adaptation to school after summer holidays
After a three-month rest, it is much more difficult for children to get used to school than for adults to go to work after a vacation. In order for them to get involved later in the educational process faster, psychologists advise changing the daily routine from mid-August. It should be the same as in September. The child needs to go to bed earlier and, accordingly, get up at the time at which he usually gets up during the school period. In the second half of August, it is necessary to repeat the material covered in the last academic year, read more.
Over the summer, the child's hand weans from writing, so it is necessary to write several dictations with the child. Let him write an essay at home about the holidays spent and about the best impressions.
In the first days of September, give your student the opportunity to rest after school for an hour or an hour and a half. It is also important to monitor the stay of a son or daughter in the fresh air.
Restless sleep of the child at this time is a symptom of anxiety and fatigue. It will not be superfluous to brew mint tea for the night, a quiet joint pastime in the fresh air. Make sure that your student does not play too active, exciting games an hour or two before bedtime.
Strengthen the children's diet with vitamins in early September. Include more salads and fruits on the menu. Have your child eat a handful of nuts daily to help ease mental stress. Chocolate can also help in intellectual activity. But only black. Pamper your child!
Especially for - Diana Rudenko
