A vast majority of boys and girls return to school the first week of March. For this reason, it is necessary to prepare students to resume their various routines and responsibilities, so that this return does not become an odyssey and a radical change in routines.
Science, mainly studies linked to psychology, gives us some recommendations. With the famous ‘back to school’, the dreaded exams, jobs and hateful daily routine also return. For many students, the beginning of the course is much more than the slope of September. It’s stress. It’s tired. And it means, unfortunately, the end of summer.
different learning
Going back to class means, once again, “dig in.” However, you are not always successful in your studies. Even Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1906, had problems with him when he was still a tender student at school.
He described rote-based learning “as a regime of terror.” And it seems that, a century after his experiences, not many things have changed in schools. Learning lists and topics by heart seems to be the preferred method, even if it doesn’t always work. For this reason, it is advisable to look for pedagogical techniques that motivate students.
hours of sleep enough
The same scientist raised the importance of sleep. For example, he thought that if you sleep more, you will get better grades. A study carried out in 2012, and published in The Eastern Economic Journal, could give us a scientific solution to get better grades. As we know, hours of sleep are essential to take care of our health. Sleeping more or less is related to important medical problems, since it leads to the appearance of serious cardiovascular diseases. But sleep could also have a crucial effect on our academic performance.
Sleeping seven hours allows you to improve academic performance. According to research from Brigham Young University, students between the ages of sixteen and eighteen “should sleep seven hours to get the best possible grades” on their exams. After analyzing sleep and school performance data from more than 1,700 students, the scientists realized that as the years passed, students slept fewer hours (bottom left graph).
Next, they carried out various academic tests to see what the “optimal sleep time” was. In the case of students between the ages of 16 and 18, they needed seven hours of sleep to improve their test results.
Review the goals achieved
It is also important to motivate them with their achievements. The ideal is to start by reminding your son or daughter of the achievements they reached the previous year, as well as the new things they will learn in this school period that is about to start.
“As a suggestion, it is important to motivate children to learn new things, where it will be a key task for parents to project the key objectives of the year. This will make it possible to create a space of trust and a motivating return for both”, says Milena Schublin Bisquertt, an expert in Education, Master in Management, from the University of Barcelona and Rector of the Colegio San Agustín.
back to the grind
Just as it is important to reinforce small tasks, small obligations. A few days before, it is recommended that children dedicate a few minutes to reading and mathematical exercises, to stimulate their attention and concentration.
“We must begin to prepare our children with small responsibilities that favor daily routines. and especially study habits. In addition, favor the normalization of schedules to anticipate the start of classes ”, closed Schublin.
In fact, according to data from MINEDUC (Ministry of Education), a total of 11,285 educational establishments should start their activities in March. These serve 3.6 million students, of which 3.49 million correspond to children and adolescents (the rest are adults).
After the long break of the summer holidays, in most cases, students forget the routines they had during the past school year, which makes it quite difficult to adapt to the schedule they have within the year.
This is why we provide some recommendations so that the return to school does not become a nightmare and they can cope without problems.
Motivate them with their achievements. The ideal is to start by reminding your son or daughter of the achievements they reached the previous year, as well as the new things they will learn in this school period that is about to start. “As a suggestion, it is important to motivate children to learn new things, where it will be a key task for parents to project the key objectives of the year. This will create a space of trust and a motivating return for both” says Milena Schublin Bisquertt, an expert in Education, Master in Management, from the University of Barcelona and Rector of the San Agustín College.
Pre-school visit. It is a good idea that one day before the formal entry, they can visit the place or surroundings of the school. Show him and comment, showing how entertaining and enjoyable the place is. It is important to provide peace of mind.
Colleagues do matter. We must promote the positive things of returning to a new school year. For example, meeting friends, sharing summer experiences, meeting new teachers, possible new classmates, among others.
Small tasks, small obligations. A few days before, it is recommended that children dedicate a few minutes to reading and mathematical exercises, to stimulate their attention and concentration. “We must begin to prepare our children with small responsibilities that favor daily routines. and especially study habits. In addition, favor the normalization of schedules to anticipate the start of classes ”says Schublin.
Go together for school supplies. If possible, tell your child about the things that will be done every day at school. Hopefully they buy together some of the lists of materials that they must bring and obviously that the minor can choose one of them.