Preparing for Back to School with Claire Goss @ BrightHorizon

Return to normal?
Kids are resilient. Remain optimistic
Keep things even keel with child - don’t get nervous in front of child

Cognitive Preparedness

How to treat others

How to cooperatively and share

How to think critically, be curious, apply learning

Critical Thinking

Asking question, making hypothesis, setting priorities and analyzing

Skills that move a project along a logical path

What do you think is going to happen next?

Why do you think that character acted that way?

Creative Imagination

Using materials in a new and imaginative way

Connecting two seemingly separate pieces of information to create something new

Blocks, puzzles, music instruments, junks - empty cardboard , old clothes - color , cut - materials to innovate with

Communication

Compromise, express needs, listen to others

Talking , listening, getting new ideas

Everyone is encouraged to contribute

Model it. Don’t interrupt your child when she is talking. Pause , eye contact and then talk.

Dinner/breakfast conversations

Even with infant - while they are babbling, asking, pausing and acknowledging.

Collaboration

Building relationships and community

Ability to participate and contribute to a team

Everyone doing their part to help the project move forward

Turns, throwing a ball, playing catch, board game - forbidden island - collaboration game. 

Good winner, good loser.

Confidence 

Exploring ideas, making mistakes, revamping ideas, and try again.

Often the best learning comes from making mistakes.

Always saying be careful - try to dial it back

Book - Grit (Angela Duckworth) - High school students - the kids who succeeded are not the ones who got great scores, IQ, extracurricular activities etc, it’s the ones who have the ability to persist, to keep going, to see something through. 

More GRIT

Encouraging Responsibility and Independence

Dealing with Separation Anxiety / more responsible for their homework 

Separation Anxiety - this is normal after studying at home 

Separate for some time. Time block of leaving kid and go back. 

For older students , maybe talk to teacher or pediatrician

Consistent ritual - like saying a goodbye - kiss and hug (A ritual is a way of saying “You’re safe”)

All smiles, proud of you, can’t wait to hear your about your day.

Don’t expose your nervousness to you kid.

Don’t convey anxiety to kid.

How to open lunch box, how to put on their coat @ school

Involve kids in chores - even 2 year old tots - match socks etc.

Homework - don’t give them an answer - how can we think about this together - what notes do you have.

Waiting and Following Directions 

A 4 year old is terrible at this - their prefrontal cortex is not there yet

A 2 year old sitting at table - not a reasonable expectation

When Grocery store / in a line - point out to a kid and say ‘Waiting is boring huh - why don’t we sing a song’

When kid barges into a webinar - I understand you don’t want to wait - if you need to talk come in and out your arm on me and I’ll put my arm back on me that means ‘I’ll be with you in sometime’

Practicing multi step directions

Go to your room - open draw - pick your pajamas - This is a lot of instructions for a kid 

Cooking projects - 1 cup of this and 2 of this 

Bedtime ritual 

Increase the number of instructions over time

Social Development : how will my child make friends?

Social cues, social norms, they learn about themselves when they are with others

Even zoom , talking to you , pet - is a social interaction

Guided play - board

and Free play - just spending time with friends and things

Working on feelings vocabulary 

Labeling feelings - “you seem frustrated right now” - give them words - they won’t be able to solve it but at least they will be able to articulate and label it - and someone else will be able to help them instead of them suffering without expression.

Preparing Your Child Academically

Let them play!

The world needs thinkers: Ask open-ended questions and encourage hands-on learning.

Worksheets - drill and repeat - no authentic real value - they are not learning applying - they are only learning how to do worksheets

Younger kids - learn by playing - not from apps / flash cards / memorization

For Reading math writing - ask questions

Math experience - gardening / cooking 

Reading a gardening book and labeling plants is a part of gardening

How many spoons do we need - Dad is going out - so how many do we need

Your child’s teachers will help . Your job is to instill a sense of love towards reading. A home ritual. Love reading time.

Writing : Trace letters, write a letter to grandma , write a letter to a Pokemon, 

Motor skills : lots of swiping because of tech, so give them clay, chalk, legos, play dough

QnA

Electronics Vs Chores : Getting your child to do it

- Do chores before you get tech time - it can be simple like pet dog

- For elder kids - empty the dishwasher - get a snack.

Academic enthusiasm

- 1/3 kids detests writing - melt off the chair - no enthusiasm - so I made it fun for him - think of something they are really excited about and make the writing about it - adjust expectations - just start with 3 sentences. building their endurance.

- math - gumballs/ gold fish crackers / choco chips - use these things they like touching to teach math.

Attention span 

- Distractability 

- Baby - hyper focused on milk or looking around while feeding.

- What else have they done today?

- Do they need more physical activity? - timer for a kid to run around the lawn thrice

- homework time - 10 jumping jacks - 10 minutes - do a problem - then you go back to 10 minutes of running.

- build in breaks 

Younger child looking at older child going to school

- Have siblings study/play in separate rooms , have them both build a ritual.

- when they are sad - acknowledge - build their vocabulary - let's think about what your bro will come back and tell us about school - let's make snack for bro when he is back.

Podcast - Teach Play Love.

other topics covered : Language Development / Healthy Play