6 Essential Tips To Help Your Child Fit Into A New School

Changing schools is often one of the hardest parts of a transition for kids. In as much as parents desire for this process to be quick and easy, it is not automatic and could take a few weeks, months or even a whole academic year – depending on your child. What makes this difficult is having to make new friends, knowing new teachers, fitting into a new school and finding their way through a new environment. For teens, this may be more difficult.

Here are a few suggestions to help your child fit into a new school:

Take them as often you can 

If possible, go with your child to school. This offers a splendid opportunity to meet their teachers as well as add a feeling of surety. You can ask the teacher to delegate a pal to your ward to help him or her around. Eventually, this would help them to relax.

Get to know to know your child’s new teacher

Adjusting to a new school academically can be just as hectic as adapting socially. One other tip on adjusting academically is to schedule an appointment with your child’s new class teacher in order to know certain expectations. By developing a friendly relationship with your child’s teacher, communication becomes easier. A good parent-teacher relationship ensures that you are updated on every progress your child makes.

Get involved

As a child, there’s nothing as heartwarming as knowing that your parent is going to be with you all the way through. One of the things that boost children’s confidence is knowing their parents are concerned about their development. Though you are not going to be sitting with them throughout classes, assure them that you are within reach anytime. Also, volunteering at your ward’s school, could help a child struggling to fit in. You could join the school mentors, Parent Teachers Association (PTA) or partake in school activities.

Talk to them

The first few months of being in a new school can be really challenging. There may be changes in their behavior that you may not have expected. Try and make time to talk about their experience and get to find out how they are adjusting to their school. Sometimes, sharing yours may just help them loosen up so try and give them a listening ear. If things are still not going too well, try booking an appointment with their teacher to iron out issues.

Encourage engagement in extra-curricular activities

Some kids simply do better with social interaction outside class. Getting them engaged in after-school activities can help battle the fear of fitting in and ease them up. This gives them the opportunity help create new friendships and help them feel a part of their new family.

If language is a barrier…

One of the major hindrances to settling into a new environment is language barrier. For most kids, limited vocabulary and language skills may prevent them from actively partaking in class, socializing with peers, and learning to their greatest capabilities. As a bilingual school that focuses on French and English, we have classes that can help your child who is not too fluent in either to pick up.

Our English as a Second Language and French as a Second Language teachers help by using different techniques. These include stressing and talking over academic vocabulary before introducing a lesson, offering the same material at different reading levels, through simple language when describing new concepts. Click here for more information about helping your child learn a second language.

We hope these tips were helpful. Don’t forget that the new school will not remain new forever and will soon turn into a more comfortable place.

To find out more about our school, click here. Our doors are always open!