“When my child goes to school, I am happy, when my child goes to school, I cry silently.” This old poem expresses the feelings of many parents when their children enter first grade. For many, teaching first graders can be a challenge, as this stage is a crucial beginning for their journey of knowledge acquisition. So, how can we teach first graders effectively and help them feel confident and excited about learning? Let’s explore useful tips with “HỌC LÀM”!
Preparing Your Child for First Grade
1. Cultivate Basic Skills
Before your child officially enters first grade, parents need to cultivate basic skills such as letter recognition, counting, communication skills, independence, and life skills. “Reviewing letters, numbers, and basic skills is important for children to confidently step into first grade,” shared Ms. Le Thi Hong, a teacher at Nguyen Du Elementary School.
Example: Children can learn to recognize letters through shape sorting games, coloring, letter matching, reading comic books, etc.
2. Create Enthusiasm for Learning
Entering first grade is a new and exciting adventure. Instead of forcing, parents should create enthusiasm for learning by telling stories, playing games, and participating in extracurricular activities related to first-grade knowledge.
Example: Instead of forcing your child to memorize the alphabet, parents can tell stories about animals and plants whose names begin with that letter, helping them remember longer.
3. Practice Communication Skills
Communication skills are essential for children to integrate into a new environment. Parents should encourage children to communicate with friends and relatives, participate in group activities, and help them develop confidence and dynamism.
Example: Parents can participate in activities with their children such as playing games, telling stories, and introducing themselves, helping them become more confident when communicating with friends and teachers.
4. Foster Independence
Independence helps children feel more confident when facing new challenges in the learning environment. Parents should encourage children to do simple tasks themselves such as eating, dressing themselves, and tidying up personal belongings, etc.
Example: Parents can let their children prepare their own books and backpacks before going to school. This helps children develop self-discipline and responsibility.
Effective Ways to Teach First Graders
1. Choose the Right Method
“Teaching first graders requires applying methods appropriate to children’s psychology and learning abilities,” emphasized Professor Nguyen Van Minh, an education expert. Parents can choose teaching methods such as:
- Visual Method: Using pictures, objects, and models to illustrate lessons, helping children understand and remember easily.
- Play-Based Method: Utilizing games to convey knowledge, creating learning interest for children.
- Repetition Method: Repeating knowledge many times, helping children memorize knowledge naturally.
2. Regularly Check and Reinforce Knowledge
After each lesson, parents should check and reinforce their child’s knowledge by asking questions, chatting, and giving them exercises, helping them understand the lesson more deeply.
Example: After learning a lesson about letters, parents can play letter guessing games or writing letters with their children, helping them reinforce knowledge effectively.
3. Create a Fun and Comfortable Learning Environment
A fun and comfortable learning environment is crucial for children to be interested in learning. Parents should create a private space for their children to study, decorate the study room nicely, and prepare all necessary learning tools, etc.
Example: Parents can create a private study corner for their children, decorated with pictures and stickers, helping them have a comfortable and pleasant learning space.
Things to Note When Teaching First Graders
- Be patient and motivate your child: Learning is a long process, parents need to be patient, encourage, and motivate their children.
- Respect your child’s learning pace: Each child has a different learning pace, parents should not compare their child with friends.
- Praise and encourage your child regularly: Praising and encouraging your child when they achieve good results helps them become more confident and love learning.
Story About a First-Grade Student
Tran Truong, a confident first-grade student on his first day of school.
Tran Truong, a dynamic first grader, is always confident in all activities. Truong’s mother regularly spends time playing games, telling stories, and teaching him to read, helping him confidently enter first grade. In addition, Truong is also trained in communication and independence skills, helping him integrate into the new environment easily.
Further Reading
To help your child have a smooth start, parents can refer to more helpful articles on the “HỌC LÀM” website:
- How to organize cooperative teaching
- How to calculate scores for natural science majors
- Effective ways to learn conversational English
“HỌC LÀM” always accompanies parents, sharing useful knowledge and experiences to help children have a smooth learning journey.
Please contact “HỌC LÀM” via phone number: 0372888889 or visit the address: 335 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi for dedicated advice and support.
