Helping your child get ready for Grade 1
August 4, 2010
Madhavi Acharya-Tom Yew
STAFF REPORTER
Roseanne Muellejans knew that first grade was a big leap for her son Tyler when she had a very tired little fellow on her hands. Sometimes he was so exhausted, he couldn’t make it to his regular 8 p.m. bedtime.
“He was just tired. I definitely had to put him to sleep earlier,” Muellejans said, adding that some nights he hit the sack by about 7:30 p.m. “He was just zonked by the end of the week.”
From half-day to full-day, recess and lunch at school and all that sitting still, there are big changes waiting for first graders as they head back to the classroom.
Even children who enjoy school can feel tired and stressed out by the end of the day.
“It is one of the most difficult grades because of the transition,” said former teacher Joan Murthy. Now retired, she taught grade one for about 40 years. “It’s the longer day, being organized, eating at school, all of it.”
Educators say it’s not just the longer day; there’s a big adjustment that comes from moving from a play-based program to one that is directed mostly by the teacher.
“Although good Grade 1 teachers certainly take this into account by offering more child choice and play at the beginning of the year, for some children it is difficult to stay focused on what they perceive to be ‘work,’” said Janette Pelletier, associate professor of human development and applied psychology at the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.
Parents can prepare children for more focused attention on "academic learning" by incorporating aspects of reading, writing, number games into play at home, Pelletier said, even playing school in a pretend fashion.
Recess is also new for many children, particularly finding things and a group of friends to play with when it’s not organized by the teacher.
Then there’s food. Grade 1 means bringing snacks and lunch to school, eating and then going outside to play until afternoon classes begin.
Children who don’t eat the food from home or scarf it all down at morning recess will be coming home from school very low energy.
When it comes to eating, parents can simply rehearse with their child what to eat for recesses and what to eat for lunch.
Keep in mind that what works at home may not work at school if it’s too smelly, too messy, or too difficult to open. Try a dry run at home a week or so in advance of the first day.
“Parents can practise with their child by packing snacks and lunch during the summer and role-playing these selections,” Pelletier said.
It is also important to talk about food allergies that other children may have and why certain foods, such as peanut butter, may not be allowed at school.
Experts say it’s best to lay off the after-school activities in the first few weeks. Children may need some quiet time, and maybe a few nutritious snacks, to wind down when they first get home.
Your kids will be better organized, but you still need to help them stay on top of it. There will be more forms and schedules sent home. Check backpacks when they walk in the door.
Parents can ease the transition by simply talking to their children about what their Grade 1 day will be like. If possible, ask the school for some details (how long lunch is, how many students will be in the class) so you can tell your son or daughter what to expect.
Don’t skip curriculum night. It’s a great chance to connect with teachers and learn about what your child will be learning over the course of the year.
When the cold weather arrives, make sure your children are wearing coats and boots they can put on themselves. They won’t get as much help from the teacher this year.
“In grade one, the teacher does not have the time the kindergarten teacher has,” Murthy said. “They’re doing every subject now so they don’t have the time to help them get dressed.”
Muellejans got to know the other parents and arranged playdates for Tyler to help him make friends at school.
Homework was the tough part. At first, Tyler wanted nothing to do with it. But then Muellejans began to break down the assignments into chunks that Tyler could more easily manage. “We split it up. If he had to write six sentences, we did three sentences before dinner, three sentences after dinner,” she said. “Just the routine helped.”
Keep in mind that grade one is going to be an exciting time for your child, full of leaps in their development. Big changes take place over the course of the year, Pelletier said.
They’ll be able to sit still longer for stories, regulate their own emotions and behaviour and tend to be less distractible.
As they gain fine motor control, they are likely to stay engaged at an activity such as drawing or other crafts, or to become interested in writing letters and words because they are learning that print has meaning.
Many children in Grade 1 begin to read, and books will hold much more appeal. The same is true for numbers and mathematical concepts.
“Generally, as their background knowledge increases and they learn more vocabulary, children become increasingly interested in discovering the world around them,” Pelletier said. “Grade 1 is an excellent time to capitalize on children's excitement and rapidly expanding capabilities.”
If, after a couple of weeks, your child is very reluctant to go to school, it may be a sign he or she is having trouble getting used to it.
Remember to take temperament into account here. “A normally outgoing child who rarely balks at change but who starts this in Grade 1 may be showing signs of not adjusting well,” Pelletier said.
Just being tired for the first few weeks is pretty typical, and not necessarily a sign of difficult adjustment.
After a few rocky weeks, Tyler was just fine, Muellejans said. Now those troubles are old hat. He’s starting grade two, after all. “I keep telling him now once you start grade two, it’s going to be homework again. He says, I know. I know.”
Peruse our back-to-school section.
Read more in the parentcentral.ca editor's blog.