As we start thinking about returning to school, the big question for teachers and parents is: How can we help our children get off to a smooth start????
After the long break, students might be keen to see their friends again. But it's not always easy to get back into the class routine. It's especially difficult when students are moving into a new?class or?are facing important exams.?
So what can you do to support children in transitioning back to school at the beginning of the academic year??
Here are 4 steps to help them get off to a great start.??
Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it's not all mixed up.? ¨C A. A. Milne?
Have a "family meeting" to brainstorm the routines for the school year,?e.g., tidying room, getting school clothes/uniform/bag ready the evening before, homework routines, family?meal times and exercise. Ensure each member of the family has input into the routine too. Create a chart with the routines so everyone can see what has been agreed upon and how they are being adhered to.
Early?to?bed?and?early?to?rise,?makes?a?man healthy,?wealthy, and?wise. ¨C Benjamin Franklin?
Agreeing on firm bedtimes during the school week is very important for everyone in the family.??
If children and teenagers do not get enough sleep, it can negatively impact their health?and academic achievement. It's important that they are aware of this too.??
In an ideal world, we should ensure that adults and children are not exposed to any form of screen time for at least 30 minutes to one hour before bedtime. This will help everyone sleep better.??
Start the back-to-school sleep transition gradually. To help your child adjust, move bedtime?up by 30 to 60 minutes?at a time over the course of a few days or a week before the start of school so the transition from a later bedtime to an earlier one is progressive.?
When it's obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps. ¨C Confucius?
Organization needs to be taught and practiced. As children get older, homework usually increases. Take an active interest in your child's homework.??
Parents can be supportive by demonstrating organizational skills and helping children with time management. Assist them with creating a plan for their homework and encourage your child (whatever age) to have a study plan of some sort and to set goals for their homework which are SMART:?
Teach them how to approach homework with a "strategy". How much homework do they have? How long will it take to do it? Prioritize urgent homework and do more difficult things when they are less tired.??
Make sure there's adequate space in your house and set up a homework-friendly area that is well?lit, and?has a table with enough room to put their pens and books. Of course, this is preferably somewhere quiet.??
Also, it's important that parents are motivators and monitors and that they try to make themselves available for advice. Always praise children for their work and efforts. If you spot any problems, try and address them. Keep distractions to a minimum at home while they are doing their homework.
Kids who grow up having family dinners, when they're on their own, tend to eat more healthily.? ¨C Anne Fishel??
A meal around the table can bring to the entire family and be an important opportunity for daily interaction. Sitting down to eat as a family provides the opportunity to have an influence over both short and long-term family?health, and?can help children establish resilience and the ability to cope with the demands of life as we know it now and in the future. It can also be an opportunity to introduce mindful eating too ¨C being more aware of what and how we are eating.
Additionally, this time together allows for members to talk and share things about their day and also offers an opportunity to establish a strong and powerful bonding experience. How can we make sure family mealtimes are quality time? ?
However, sometimes it's not possible to share meal times during the week so plan at least one on the weekend if possible.?
The benefits of any small moment of time can have long-lasting positive influences on your child's mental and physical health. Children model adult?behavior?and if they see you eating and engaging positively with them and others, they will carry this into their own lives.?
With a bit of preparation, the leadup and transition back to school can be smooth and enjoyable not only for children but also for the rest of the family.
Learning English with music can enhance learning and create a more engaging and dynamic classroom environment. In a previous post, we discussed if music can help you learn a language; this post looks at how music can be incorporated into the classroom.
Using music in your classroom can help improve student motivation, focus, and retention of information. Here are some ways you can use music to enhance your classroom teaching:
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Have you considered studying abroad? Moving to Canada to study? With more than 100 world-class universities across the country, there¡¯s good reason to. From coast to coast to coast, it offers many international students a safe and supportive learning environment and the opportunity to work after graduation.
Want to learn more? In this guide, we cover ten things you should know about studying in Canada:
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Teaching teenagers can be a rewarding yet challenging experience.
When planning classes, we need to consider the environment in which the students are growing up. Most of our teenage students do not know a life without the internet, instant messaging or Google.
Commonly referred to as ?(or Gen Z), they are the most tech-savvy generation to date; this should be reflected in how we teach them.
However, not all of us have access to computer labs, interactive whiteboards or class tablets. But there is something that many of our teens bring to class in their pockets and bags every day.
You¡¯ve guessed it - a phone.
By bringing students¡¯ phones into your classes, you can bridge the technology gap between the learners and the curriculum, keep them engaged for longer and make them feel more empowered at the same time.
Here are four low-tech activities that use phones in class.
Activity requirements: one phone per student (or group of students) and a pre-made quiz.
is an app designed to help you create quizzes online, which can be a fun, engaging way to challenge your learners in the classroom.
Quizzes are an ideal activity to use at the start of a class to recycle previous vocabulary or to pre-teach new language.
For example, you could choose 10 British English phrases or idioms. Write a series of four possible definitions for each word, phrase, or idiom (with only one correct answer).
In class, ask your students to take out their phones, find the app, and link to the quiz.
Tell the students that they must vote for the definition they think is correct. They can keep track of their scores directly on the app while competing with their friends.
Not only will it immediately engage your learners and help them interact with what¡¯s being learned, but they¡¯ll also have a lot of fun.
Activity requirements: a phone with the Google Translate app installed and a pen and paper per pair.
Did you know Google Translate has a feature where you can ? This is a perfect tool for text that you might find on a poster, in a book or uses an alphabet which you are unfamiliar with.
Bring in samples of different languages to class ¨C the more complex, the better. If you don¡¯t have anything suitable at home, find something online and print it out.
Get one student to take a photo of the text using the app and with their finger, select the section of the text they¡¯d like to translate from the original language to English. (Note: if you download the Google Translate language file to your phone, it will translate everything automatically).
Then, have them dictate what it says to their partner, who has to write it down.
Finally, they work together to improve the English translation. After all, everyone knows Google¡¯s English isn¡¯t perfect (not yet, anyway).
Activity requirements: a mobile phone with a camera per student.
Do your students love taking photos? Tap into their love of photography and make activities more exciting by incorporating the photos on their phones into your classes.
Adapt speaking activities from common exams such as the B2 Cambridge First. Instead of using the pictures in the book, put the students in pairs and get them each to choose a more relevant photo from their phones. You may find they have more to say and will communicate naturally while still practicing the necessary language and skills required in the exam.
Another idea is to get students to take photos of things they encounter in English in the street. This could be on a sign outside a restaurant or in their favorite clothing shop. Use these photos to start the next class with a discussion about where they saw it, what it means and if the English is correct.
You could also nominate one student each week to bring a photo they took that weekend. Share it with the class and get everyone to write Instagram captions. You wouldn¡¯t believe how many already do this in English, so why not help them?
If you are worried about the misuse of mobile devices in your class ¨C don¡¯t be! Here are our top three strategies to help avoid students getting distracted:
