It’s that time of year again. Thanksgiving has passed you by, and now we have arrived at winter break. There is a lot happening at home and at school. At this time of the year, it can be easy for your child to get caught up in the mix of all the festivities. It is important to make sure that your child is prepared to finish the year strong. Here are a few tips to help your child thrive academically during the holidays.
1. If your child has any major exams or projects due after the break, make sure they start studying and preparing now! Teachers love to give exams and projects after the break. Make sure your child understands the topics they need to study. Also, make a
2. Create a master calendar of family activities, appointments and events that will occur over the winter break. This will ensure that your child has adequate time to complete any work that is due when school resumes. A master calendar will help your child know the days and times they will be able to complete school work. If you don’t do this they may get caught up in the festivities and forget to complete their work. Have a conversation with your child about what needs to be accomplished over the break. Set up a schedule and make sure your child sticks to it.
3. Hold your child accountable to the work that needs to be completed. Make sure you have a list of all assignments that need to be completed over the break. Check on your child periodically to see how they are progressing. Have your child show you what they’ve done to check that the quality of their work is satisfactory.
4. Start looking ahead. If your child has nothing due over the break, most likely something will be coming up in early January. Help your child set up a study schedule. If they don’t know what they should be working on they should refer to a class syllabus or ask their teacher(s) to provide a list. Don’t allow your child to procrastinate. Exams sometimes cover an entire semester’s worth of work and you don’t want them to start studying at the last minute.
5. Keep up with skills learned before the break. It is easy to lose skills acquired during the semester. Make sure you know what your child has been learning and provide opportunities to practice those skills.
This season should be a time to relax and get some much needed rest. At the same time you want your child to enter the New Year prepared for the challenges that lie ahead. Help your child stay on track so they can truly have a “Happy” New Year.
