Change is always a little daunting.
When your child moves on from primary to secondary school, they go from being the eldest to finding themselves as the youngest pupils in the school. There are new teachers, new classmates and new demands and rules. Buildings, classroom and corridors are unfamiliar, and filled with children that are much older in age.
Combine this with the increasing sense of self our children go through at 12 or 13, and you start to see how this transition can be a tricky space to negotiate. But luckily there are a few things you can do to make the move into secondary school as pain-free as possible:
1. Chat about change
Your child will now change rooms after every class or double class. He or she will have at least 12 subjects, and will meet a large number of new teachers. This can be both confusing and also, to some, a little upsetting. You can help by sitting down to have a chat about all the changes that are going on, and how your child is feeling about it all.
Talk about First Year subjects, especially if your child is sampling some subjects for a few weeks to see if he enjoys them. Be positive about your own experiences and refrain from saying ‘When I was in school I hated…’. You don’t want your experience to become your child’s experience of a subject, regardless of how you felt about it when you were in school.
And remember this is a new beginning. Even if your child didn’t like a particular subject in primary school, suggest that he might feel different about it now and that it is an opportunity to start from the beginning.
If you feel your child has struggled in a subject, be it maths, English or Irish, make sure to tell the teachers. It would often be a good idea to suggest extra support in the very early stages of secondary school with subjects your child has struggled with before.
2. Make Locker Life Easier
Your child will have a lot more books, copies and notepads than he did in primary school, and this alone can be a source of confusion. Start to colour code. Get some circular stickers and choose a colour for each subject. For example red for English, blue for maths, green for Irish and so on.
Place the colour sticker on the binding of each book, copy and any material related to that subject. When your child opens their locker it will now be easy to identify the class materials they need for each subject. This is hardly noticeable to anybody else (if that is something they worry about), and yet it is an easy way of making sure your child has everything they need for each class.
3. Talk about School
Always make sure you take the time to ask your child about what they learned that day in school. Also ask them about what they liked, what they found challenging and what they enjoyed most. Asking them to explain what they have done that day is beneficial in a number of ways. First of all, it makes them recall what they did in class that day, and then the summary will help to concrete the information in their mind.
Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, if your child leaves a subject or a few subjects out, this might be a sign that he or she is struggling in that particular subject. If you have this feeling this might be the case, speak to the teacher too see if they think you could be right, and if there is anything that can be done to ensure your child gets the help he or she needs in this particular subject.
The danger is that if a child falls too far behind in a subject, it will often affect their confidence in that particular subject, something they might struggle to regain.
Use your instincts. Stay involved. Ask questions. Be there. Talk it out.
Sinéad is a Career Psychologist and Educational Consultant working in career guidance and education support roles for over 12 years. She has endless knowledge of the Irish Education System and making positive career choices. Catch up with her advice on Twitter, on Facebook or on acareertolove.com.
