The Magic Kick: how to set a student up for excellent studies
The closer the new school year gets, the more parents have to worry. How to set the right start for students at the very beginning of their studies so that they study diligently, follow the daily routine and do their homework on their own? Do I have to pay children for A's and how to react to bad grades? What should I do if my child is afraid to go to school? Izvestia searched for answers to these and other questions together with psychologists and educators.
The Hourglass
The question of how to motivate students to study well is more relevant today than ever: parents are afraid to overdo it with strict requirements — not everyone knows how to negotiate with their children. Speech therapist, psychologist, art therapist, teacher of Russian language and literature Inna Bogoroditskaya advises starting with a conversation about the value of time.
— Show the hourglass to the child, read "The Tale of Lost Time" by Evgeny Schwartz together, or watch the film of the same name, — Bogoroditskaya suggests. — Through such images, the child understands that time is divided into obligatory ("must") and free ("want"). Both need to be planned.
A speech therapist-psychologist advises not to take the child under your own parental plans all the time, but to discuss with him what he is interested in and what he is obliged to do as a student.
Teacher, psychologist, playwright, member of the board of the Russian Children's Fund Tatyana Shishova recommends parents to reflect on whether a child always learns only because his parents want him to.
— There are children who from the very beginning want to learn by themselves, without pressure and coercion. From an early age, they have a pronounced curiosity, the ability to ask questions, and an interest in new things. But curiosity in preschool age does not guarantee that motivation will remain in school. It often fades away due to ill-conceived school programs, overloading, or incomprehensible assignments," Shishova comments.
From Shishova's point of view, the inconsistency and randomness of the presentation of the material, the overload of lessons and assignments, and the inconsistency of the program with age characteristics sometimes prevent children from maintaining interest in learning.
— It is difficult for a child to assimilate abstract concepts like "X's" and "Y's" when thinking is still visual and figurative, - explains Shishova. — In the Soviet school, more visual methods were used — counting sticks, step—by-step introduction of rules - which helped learning. Today, it is not uncommon for gymnasiums in grades 2-3 to have seven lessons a day, plus tutors. And the children don't have time to rest.
The lack of quality rest leads to health problems. When a child's studies are not going well and his grades leave much to be desired, Elvira Ziganshina, a pediatrician at the Be Healthy Children's Clinic, advises to understand the problems from a medical point of view.
— You should consult a neurologist and pediatrician, and maybe even an ENT doctor, as well as check for vitamin deficiency. There are many reasons for poor academic performance, the main thing is to start to figure it out and believe in your child," the doctor comments.
Independent work
The nightmare of many mothers is the need to spend hours studying with their child. Excessive care reduces motivation, independence and increases anxiety, leading to neurosis, experts say.
— The student does not think that he will learn something new, but that mom or dad may be unhappy, — Bogoroditskaya explains. — Family quarrels over studies are especially traumatic. If independence is not formed, it is developed gradually: after illness or failures, you can temporarily help, but then return responsibility to the child. The principle of Lev Vygotsky's "zone of proximal development" works: the child does part of the tasks with the parent, part by himself.
According to Shishova, complete suspension at the very beginning of studies can lead to the accumulation of twos and gaps.
— At the very beginning of learning, it is useful to sit with the child, help him, encourage him, — says Shishova. — But gradually it is necessary to give tasks for independent performance with subsequent verification. Complete abandonment of control is possible only when there is confidence that the child will cope.
Inna Bogoroditskaya also believes that self-study should be taught gradually.
— First, sit next to each other, observe what is easy and where help is needed. Then give me a simple task and "go away" for a while: cook dinner, call for work. And then come back with a check. Gradually increase the intervals of independent work,— advises Bogoroditskaya.
Anna Guseva, a practicing psychologist, reminds parents that homework allows them to repeat and memorize the material they received in class. But, in addition, they also develop self-discipline, teach you how to plan your time, and finish what you've started. These skills will be useful not only in school, but also in adulthood.
— It's really worth helping a student with lessons at the very beginning of his studies, when he is just adapting to it, — the psychologist comments. — The parent is required to teach the child how to formulate questions, write down homework correctly, sign notebooks, fill out a diary and, of course, encourage independence when completing assignments.
According to Anna Guseva, such adaptation lasts for 2-3 months, and then, during the year, the parent does not sit with the child side by side, but supports if necessary, if the student needs help. Such situations arise when he gets too difficult assignments, skipped school and does not understand something or is not sure of his conclusions. You should not sit at lessons with a child and even more so perform tasks for him. In such cases, the student becomes dependent on the constant presence of an adult, his responsibility and real level of knowledge decrease, the psychologist believes. If the parent is overly controlling the homework, then this indicates that he himself is in an anxious state.
— We must come to terms with the idea that studying is an area of activity that is almost completely at the mercy of the child himself. It is important to entrust him with independent work with internal motivation," sums up Anna Guseva.
Do I have to pay for grades
Modern children do not hide diaries and do not tear pages with twos out of notebooks — parents see the results of their work in an electronic journal. Tatiana Shishova advises not to go to extremes: not to scold for every mistake, but also not to ignore bad results.
— Evaluation is a signal of gaps, and it is important to understand the reason for these gaps. Sometimes the problem is nervousness, and sometimes it's objective difficulties like dysgraphia or dyslexia. These difficulties are corrected, but not through punishment. You can only scold if you are clearly lazy and irresponsible," comments Tatiana Shishova.
Inna Bogoroditskaya believes that it is necessary to talk to children about grades so that they are aware of their results and their dynamics.
— For example: "there were three in the last quarter, now there are four, well done" or "I tried harder before, let's see what has changed." The reaction depends on the character: impressionable — to support, indifferent — to push, — suggests Bogoroditskaya.
Sometimes it is useful to emphasize the strengths of a child: confidence in one subject helps to tighten up the rest, the expert emphasizes.
Anna Guseva emphasizes that, first of all, parents should motivate their children by personal example. If mom and dad don't read, aren't interested in anything, and don't broaden their horizons, then the child won't be interested in learning new information either. It is also important whether the teacher is able to "infect" students with knowledge. The lack of support and praise from adults negatively affects the child. It's bad if they compare him with others.
But it doesn't make sense to pay for excellent grades. A child should learn for himself, for his own development, and if money becomes the main motivation for acquiring knowledge, then at some point learning ceases to be the main goal, warns Anna Guseva. According to the expert, this method is most often used by very busy parents who do not have time to figure out why the student is not studying very well. And in this case, there is a risk that such motivation will become a so-called secondary benefit — the replacement of a parent who is eliminated from the child's learning process.
Tatiana Shishova also believes that small children should not be encouraged with money. The main thing is that the child understands: he learns for himself, not for a reward.
— The best encouragement is time spent with parents, playing games together, going to interesting places, — says Shishova. — You can give a student a board game, go to a shooting gallery or an aquarium with him.
Inna Bogoroditskaya agrees with her colleague — the expert believes that the word "pay" should not be used in relation to children at all. And it is better to encourage them for excellent studies by going to a cafe or an exhibition together.
—Computer games can also serve as a reward if they are educational," Bogoroditskaya believes. — The connection is simple: I worked hard, completed the tasks, and got what I wanted. At the same time, it should be remembered that the basic love and attention of parents do not depend on grades.
From Anna Guseva's point of view, one of the most important motivation tools is a comfortable workplace. If the child has a comfortable table with the right lighting, and school and writing supplies are in order, then he will be willing to sit down for lessons. At home, it is important to have conversations about how good "our" school is, and what an excellent teaching staff it has.
— If a student is not happy with grades, then you should not immediately blame laziness for everything, — says Anna Guseva. — Poor academic performance often hides completely different reasons. For example, learning is perceived as a duty rather than a personal choice. The lack of connection between school subjects and real life also has a detrimental effect on interest in learning. And monotonous, boring assignments do not always arouse curiosity, without which it is difficult for students to sit at their textbooks.
Anna Guseva recommends linking theory with practice — go to a museum, read something about the topic of the lesson that goes beyond the textbook.
The speech therapist-psychologist also recommends supplementing your studies with trips to museums, educational films, and art books about scientists.
— For example, children will read Veniamin Kaverin's "Open Book" with interest: the plot is based on the real life story of Soviet microbiologist and epidemiologist Zinaida Vissarionovna Ermolyeva, — suggests the expert.
Any science — astronomy, physics, mathematics — can become interesting if you show how it relates to life, summarizes Bogoroditskaya.
Regime and sport
Experts are sure that an established regime is the basis for good health and excellent studies. A fixed time for sleeping, getting up, and eating directly affects performance, Bogoroditskaya notes.
"A third—grader doing his homework before midnight is a signal that something needs to change in the family," comments the speech therapist—psychologist. — Lessons should be completed two hours before bedtime, and daytime activities should include walking, sports, reading, and socializing with friends. The workload in clubs and sections should increase gradually, and not "like everyone else's". Keep an eye on whether sleep has worsened, whether the child has become ill more often.
Tatiana Shishova emphasizes that a child should go to bed and get up at the same time.
— This schedule should be integrated a week before the start of the school year. The peak of mental activity is from 9 to 12 and from 16 to 18 hours. It is better to plan lessons during these hours. Delaying classes until the evening reduces efficiency," explains Tatiana Shishova.
The teacher emphasizes that younger students should not be allowed to do their homework at midnight — this undermines their health and academic performance.
— In the evening, spend quiet games or activities with your child together, switch his attention from gadgets to walking before going to bed or reading books that interest him, quiet games, taking a soothing bath before going to bed, — suggests pediatrician Ziganshina.
But high school students develop their own characteristics with age, and this must be taken into account.
"Before puberty, circadian cycles change — they really go to bed later and wake up later — this is the norm for them," comments Ziganshina.
Why are children afraid to go to school
Experts advise parents to be on their guard if their children are afraid to go to school or do it with displeasure.
— The reason for this reluctance may be a temperamental discrepancy with the teacher (a loud and energetic teacher and a quiet melancholic child); noise at recess ("I only walk on the wall, I'm afraid they'll knock me down"); conflicts with classmates; learning difficulties; speech therapy problems, — explains Inna Bogoroditskaya. — Sometimes a child cannot stand large groups — this is not necessarily a diagnosis, but a feature that must be considered.
In such cases, you don't have to wait for everything to resolve itself. Experts recommend that you definitely find out the essence of the problem.
If a child is simply not confident in himself, Tatiana Shishova advises creating "success zones" — situations in which he feels more confident. Such children should be praised, encouraged, and helped to overcome difficulties gradually. If it's a matter of fear, then the problem is much more serious.
— It is necessary to understand the reasons for this fear: bullying, poor contact with the teacher, a complex program. If you can't reach an agreement with a teacher, don't be afraid to change schools. It's easier today than before. Such a measure can save a child from chronic stress," Shishova comments.
In such cases, teachers recommend that, for the sake of the child's safety, choose another form of education, up to temporary family education. It also happens that a child does not cope with the program, but is ready to stay in school for the sake of his favorite class and friends — experts advise to take this into account.
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