How to help a first-grader adapt to school? Doctor's advice. Primary school

Ekaterina Morozova

Reading time: 9 minutes

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Having crossed the threshold of school, a child finds himself in a completely new world for him. The child may have been waiting for this moment for a long time, but he will have to adapt to a new life, where new challenges, friends and knowledge await him. What difficulties might a first-grader have when adapting to school? Get to know the problems of first-graders adapting to school. Find out how to help your child adapt to learning and overcome all difficulties. Is your baby just starting kindergarten? Read about.

Children do not all adapt in the same way. Someone quickly joins in new team and is included in the learning process, but for some it takes time.

What is adaptation to school and what factors does it depend on?

Adaptation is the restructuring of the body to work in changed conditions. Adaptation to school has two sides: psychological and physiological.

Physiological adaptation includes several stages:

“Acute adaptation” (first 2–3 weeks). This is the most difficult period for a child. During this period, the child’s body responds to everything new with strong tension in all systems, as a result of which in September the child is susceptible to diseases.
Unstable device. During this period, the child finds close optimal options reactions to new conditions.
A period of relatively stable adaptation. During this period, the child’s body reacts to stress with less stress.

In general, adaptation lasts from 2 to 6 months, depending on the individual characteristics of the child.

Adaptation disorder depends on several factors:

Features of adaptation to school of a first-grader, levels of adaptation to school

Each first-grader has his own characteristics of adaptation to school. To understand how a child adapts, it is recommended to learn about the levels of adaptation to school:

The problem of adaptation in school for first-graders - causes and signs of maladjustment

Maladaptation can be understood as pronounced problems that do not allow the child to study and the occurrence of any difficulties associated with learning (deterioration of mental and physical health, difficulties in reading and writing, etc.). Sometimes maladjustment is difficult to notice.
The most typical manifestations of maladjustment.

First-graders look forward to their first day of school and are very excited, because they are beginning a new, “adult” life. A start for parents school life- also a serious test and a cause for concern: will their baby be able to cope with new responsibilities for him? How quickly does he adapt to school? Parents have good reason to worry: how adaptation to school goes will determine not only the child’s future academic performance, but also his entire future life.

How to help your baby move smoothly and painlessly from a carefree childhood life to a new one for him educational activities? This is discussed in this article.

What can parents do to ensure successful adaptation to school?

During this difficult period, parents must support their child in everything. Almost all preschool children really want to go to school, they want to grow up, they want to be like their elders. In other words, initially all first-graders have a very high academic level. But when daily classes at school begin, the child faces the first difficulties: instead of carefree entertainment - result-oriented studies, instead of dynamic games - long lessons during which you need to sit quietly. Due to such difficulties, motivation to study is significantly reduced, and the main thing for parents is to help their child maintain interest in learning from the very first days at school. The most difficult problem for all first-graders is to sit still. This is explained age characteristics child's body: in a 6-7 year old child, the brain is still developing, and it is still very difficult for a child to maintain attention for a long time. It is especially difficult for 6-year-olds to concentrate on their studies - this is why it is recommended to send children to school at 7 years old.

How can I help my child cope with this problem?

The most important thing is to never scold your child for restlessness, or rather, not to scold him for anything related to school, so that he does not lose interest in learning. The task of adults is to help the child establish educational process, learn to follow the teacher’s instructions correctly and in a certain sequence: sit up straight, open your notebooks, take pens, write the number... Don’t forget that even these simple steps new and unfamiliar for the child.

Should parents help their child with homework?

While doing homework, you must sit next to your child, especially at first. But at the same time, the task of adults is to help the child sit still, and not to do homework for him. Sitting next to him, try to maintain his interest in learning: praise him for his achievements and in no case scold him if he makes a mistake. If the learning process is difficult for a child or something doesn’t work out, while doing homework, you can put something tasty next to it as an encouragement - an apple, a tangerine. Pampering your baby with his favorite treats while studying will help him enjoy preparing his homework more. Just make sure that the treats do not leave stains on textbooks and notebooks.

Adaptation of first-graders at school.

But at the same time, encouragement should not be confused with punishment. You can’t tell children something like “until you finish your homework, you won’t go for a walk” or “if you make a mistake in your homework, you won’t get a chocolate bar.” Such statements can discourage interest in learning, and school and everything connected with it should not cause negative feelings in the child.

Nowadays, many children do not attend kindergarten, but are raised at home. Does home education help you adapt to school life faster or, on the contrary, does it hinder you?

Both “home” children and “kindergarten” children can have problems at school, but, as a rule, they are different. According to statistics, children who did not attend preschool institutions have problems adapting to school much more often than those who went to kindergarten. The main problem For all first-graders, joining a new team and changing their usual way of life is a challenge, and for “home” children this problem is especially acute. Due to insufficient experience of communicating with peers, children who have not attended preschool institutions often lack communicative readiness for school: they lack the skills of joint action with other children, the ability to communicate in a team, to yield, to obey. But in addition to communication, children at home also have a motivational problem. Due to the fact that such children had little contact with peers in the preschool period, at school they are often more interested in communicating than in studying. In this case, the task of the parents is to orient the child towards studying. If a “home” child is the only child in the family, this means that preschool age he communicated more with adults than with his peers, so at school he tends to communicate more with the teacher than with his classmates. This behavior interferes with joining the team and complicates the adaptation process.

What to do if first-graders have difficulty communicating with the teacher?

The figure of a teacher is very important for a first-grader, especially at the beginning of school, so it is very important that the child likes the teacher from the very beginning. The authority of the teacher in the eyes of a first-grader is very high, and the child trusts his words even more than the words of his parents. This attitude is quite normal: it maintains interest in school. If children experience fear of a teacher, then the origins of this fear should be sought not in school, but in the family. This means that in preschool age the child was instilled with excessive fear of adults. You cannot scold a child for this fear: support the child, explain that the teacher does not wish him harm.

What else will help a child adapt to school life faster?

First-graders need good nutrition and a strict daily routine, then the child will not only be less tired, but also less sick, and therefore less likely to miss school. The baby must go to bed no later than 21.00, only then will the night's rest be truly complete. It is very important that the child walks outside every day, because... Children of this age have a great need for motor activity. Another very important point: First graders are still young children, so you need to be sure to leave them time to play every day.

You should not expect incredible progress or any super-achievement from a first-grader from the first days of school. The main task of the entire elementary school is to teach the child to learn, in other words, to teach him directly the learning process: how to better understand and remember new material, how to repeat what has been learned, how to sit at a desk correctly, how to use a book, how to complete assignments. Primary school should support the child’s desire to learn, with which he came to first grade, and instill an interest in acquiring new knowledge in the future. The task of parents is to be patient and attentive, to support the baby during this difficult period and to show their love for him. Then in the future he will definitely please you with his academic achievements.

How to help a first-grader adapt to school.

The start of school is new stage in life little man. How to prepare him for adult life, help him navigate the new world called “school”?

Talks about this Elena Izotova, chief freelance pediatric neurologist of the Volgograd Region Health Committee.

New rules

From the moment a child crosses the threshold of school, everything begins for him new life. The daily routine changes radically: before, the baby did what he wanted: walked, slept, ate. His parents adjusted to his wishes. Now the words “must” and “must” will appear in his life. And parents need to prepare him for this, set him up in a serious way. Otherwise, a new beginning life stage will be a serious test for a first-grader.

Main difference school age from preschool - a lot of mental stress. In addition, he now spends a lot of time in a large team. Here, unlike kindergarten, - a competitive environment, the child needs to stand out among his friends, learn to compete and win, in addition, he needs to study at home. All of these are completely new activities. And you need to prepare for this in advance.

The child must know that he is now big, he must go to school, do his homework - this is his main responsibility. Explain to him why he needs to study in general - to be literate, to be able to count. You can even say that, having received this knowledge, he, as an adult, will be able to choose his specialty and provide for his family. All this can be conveyed even to a kindergartener in an accessible form.

- Isn’t the burden of responsibility falling too much on a small person? Doesn't this cause stress?

The child’s psyche is flexible; he will not be fixated on these difficulties if you do not focus attention on them. But parents still need three months, six months in advance, to start preparing their future first-grader for a new life, to set him up, to warn him that school will not be easy. Try to find here " golden mean": interest the child, but at the same time teach him discipline.

The maximum time for lessons is one and a half hours. A child should not sit through lessons for three to five hours, this is a very heavy load, and there will be no benefit from it

And in order to avoid overload, it is necessary first of all to adjust the daily routine - it will be noticeably different from the kindergarten one. After classes, primary schoolchildren must have lunch and a nap during the day. It is more effective than night time: it is known that 20 minutes nap replace the hour of the night. In this way, stress is relieved and vivid impressions fade.

There is no need to immediately sit your child down homework, the principle “done the job - go for a walk” does not work here. Send your first grader to play outside. And only after that - for desk. The maximum time for lessons is one and a half hours. A child should not sit through lessons for three to five hours, this is a very heavy load, and there will be no benefit from it. At first, check how your student is doing his homework, control it, and help him get involved in the school rhythm. Encourage him for any success. This plays a much larger role in the learning process than punishment. It is known that until the age of seven, a child does not understand at all why he is being punished: only positive motivation should work.

Are you tired?

- What alarming symptoms related to the health of a first-grader should alert parents?

The first alarming symptom is hyperactivity. A child, unlike an adult, does not feel tired when overworked. We understand that we need to rest, lie down, relax, and get distracted. The child reacts differently: his motor activity increases. In a conversation, he begins to jump from one thought to another, becomes impulsive, cannot concentrate on one thing or complete the task. You need to take a closer look at the child, see how his behavior has changed under increased loads. It happens that when tired, tics appear: the child blinks, opens his mouth, shrugs his shoulders. If this becomes obsessive and permanent, you need to consult a doctor. But these same signs may indicate overwork. This is how a compensatory mechanism turns on in the body: adults, when irritated, can scream. The baby cannot scream and begins to blink his eyes. Sometimes a child says: “I blink and it’s easier for me.” Such compensatory movements do not require treatment: you need to reconsider your daily routine and devote more time to rest.

Another important test awaits at school: the body begins to experience a strong load on the spine. Sitting in general is an anti-physiological condition for our body, hence problems with the spine (a disease of civilization).

Make sure your child has comfortable table and a chair, the light should fall from the left, there should be a bench under your feet. Make sure your child is sitting comfortably. But you don’t need to pore over textbooks for a long time: 30 - 45 minutes - and a 15-minute break.

- Is it necessary to change the student’s diet?

The ideal would be split meals five times a day; fermented milk products, fruits and vegetables must be present. Create a menu based on the food pyramid principle. It is based on vegetables, fruits, whole grain products - sources of so-called long carbohydrates (brown rice, wholemeal bread, whole grain pasta, porridge), vegetable fats. In second place are foods containing protein. Next comes milk and dairy products. At the very top step of the pyramid are fats.

Bosom friends

- How to help a first-grader improve relationships with classmates? And is it necessary to intervene at all?

You need to deal with relationships in a team and in society all your life. And this process begins in the first grade of school; there was no need to teach this in kindergarten. By the age of six or seven, a person is ready to begin to master a social role in society. He needs to communicate with peers, right now bosom friends appear: the psyche is ripe for close and sincere communication. If conflicts arise, try to explain to the child that in a dispute or conflict, both sides are often to blame. Now your child is acquiring new experience communication, which will later be useful in adult life. And in this he also needs your support.

In general, to help a first-grader adapt to school, try not to go to extremes: make sure that the child does not give up on classes at all, but at the same time does not overexert himself, does not undermine his health, and does not get too upset because of failures. This is also the task of parents - to explain, help, guide, create conditions.

Remember about individual characteristics: someone will always strive to be the first, while others need to be controlled and directed. Instill in your child confidence in his abilities, right now he needs your help.

Adaptation is a rather long process; it is getting used to a new regime, conditions, environment. If your child is about to enter first grade, now is the time to start preparing. Each baby is aware of the changes and experiences them in their own way; the period can last from a couple of weeks to 5-6 months. It depends on the character of the first grader, his environment, and the level of difficulty school curriculum, degree of readiness of the child. The support of loved ones is also very important: the stronger the child feels it, the easier the process of adaptation will be.

Conventionally, adaptation is divided into three stages:

The first stage is the “Physiological Storm”, this is the beginning of addiction, which is accompanied by overexertion and violent reactions of the body.
The second stage is an unstable adaptation, the body is still looking for options to react to a particular stimulus.
The third stage is complete habituation, “the person has gotten used to it,” when the child already finds his place in the class, successfully socializes, and copes well with the program. Both psychological and social adaptation are very important. Often in schools in October-November, school psychologists conduct diagnostics among students in grades 1 and 5 to check whether all children have been able to get used to it.

First time in first grade

As a rule, first-graders go to school with pleasure; for them it is another exciting game, learning something new and unusual. However, during the first months of training, attitudes towards the educational process can change dramatically. Strict demands from teachers, a busy program, overload, and additional assignments are factors that cause first-graders to fear school, teachers, or lessons.

Parents should pay close attention to the child’s condition in the first month of school - this is the so-called “acute adaptation”.

During this period, there is no need to overload the child additional tasks: You can sign up for a sports section or a club from October-November, and in September you can allow your child to calmly get used to a new type of activity. Also, you should not suddenly change the rhythm of life of a first-grader, citing the fact that “You are already an adult, you can do everything yourself.” At 7 years of age, more than at any other age, the child really needs your help and support.

Important details:

Establish a daily routine with your child, preparing homework and school should alternate with active recreation. The child must follow a routine: if the routine is violated, a first-grader quickly gets tired, becomes absent-minded, gets headaches, mental activity decreases, and the desire to learn disappears. Try not to rush your child, calculate your time: if you know that your child is slow, allocate more minutes to get ready, better you will get up 15 minutes earlier, but you certainly won’t rush like a fire, and won’t be afraid of being late. Don’t send your child to school without breakfast, be sure to cheer him up, and don’t say goodbye in the style of “So that there are no bad grades” or “Make sure that the teachers don’t complain about you.”

After school, do not rush your child, let him rest for at least an hour and a half, and then sit down for his homework. Do not immediately offer your help, be patient. If a first-grader can’t cope with something, offer to think about the task together and motivate him more often. Be attentive to your child’s complaints: fatigue, headaches, drowsiness are objective signs that the process is difficult; you can alleviate it.

· Accept your child for who he is, do not try to compare him with classmates or peers - you will either lower the first-grader’s self-esteem or develop excessive pride in him;
· Establish contact with class teacher, a school psychologist, write down their phone number so that if something happens you can ask or consult with experienced people;
· Show interest in your child. If he is unhappy or upset about something, just listen to him. Don't think that children's problems are less important than adult problems;
· If your child counts slowly or writes sloppily, do not criticize him, rather help him practice. Criticism is a terrible weapon for young children, especially if they are scolded in public;
· Encourage your child for success, stimulate him to improve. Even an “already grown-up” first-grader needs your care: if you tell him a story before bed or listen to recordings together, let this remain your family ritual. The child will know that much in his life will remain constant, which means that the tension will gradually go away;
· Do not speak negatively about school methods, teachers, or your child’s classmates in the presence of your child, even if you think there is a valid reason. It is better for the teacher to be your ally - this way it is much easier to solve problematic situations;
· Help your child socialize: when he makes his first comrades and friends, invite them to your house for ice cream or cake and tea. At home, an atmosphere of emotional comfort is very important for a child; he should know that he is very loved and appreciated here;

The main signs of maladaptation are the child’s complaints. If this is normal in the first couple of weeks, then in the future these signs will negatively affect your studies. Manifestation of aggression or stubbornness, excessive mobility, inability to concentrate, unmotivated whims - these manifestations simply cannot be ignored. In this case, it is better for parents to act together with a psychologist and teacher to speed up and simplify the process.

As you understand, support, attention and understanding are required on your part, and the rest will follow! If your child has confidence in you, he will also have confidence in own strength, and he will return from school calm and joyful, with new discoveries and knowledge!

Key questions for discussion:

Physiological difficulties in first-graders’ adaptation to school.
Psychological difficulties of first-graders adapting to school.
The system of relationships with the child in the family during the period of adaptation to schooling.
Parent workshop on the problem.

(Slide 1) Many preschoolers look forward to the day when they first cross the threshold of school. Days pass, and for some schoolchildren the emotional elation disappears. They encountered their first difficulties. They don't succeed at everything. They are disappointed. And this is natural.
The beginning of schooling occurs during the 7-year crisis. Sometimes this age is called the period of “change of baby teeth”, “extension of growth”. Parents note that it is not that the child becomes disobedient, but rather that he becomes incomprehensible and all this coincides with the beginning of schooling.

What's going on?
The child loses his naivety, spontaneity, and simplicity, and his behavior, in contrast, seems unnatural to those who knew him before. To some extent this is true. Having lost some forms of behavior, the child has not yet mastered new ones. A previously carefree child has unusual responsibilities: at school he is not free to manage his time and must obey discipline rules that do not always seem reasonable to him. Why you need to sit still whole lesson? Why can't you make noise, shout, run? After dynamic emotional games For a preschooler, a new life seems tiresome and not always interesting. School discipline requires a lot of stress; it is difficult for a first-grader to control his feelings and desires.
The nature of activities is also changing dramatically. Previously, the main thing was the game. And in it the result is not the most important thing. First of all, the game process itself is exciting and exciting. In studies, the result and its evaluation are increasingly coming to the fore. Therefore, a crisis arises in the child’s value orientations, followed by the first surprises and disappointments. And not only for children, but for parents too.
The cornerstone question: how to ensure that a child’s adaptation to school is painless and quick? Today we will talk about the difficulties of the adaptation period.

“Physiological conditions for a child’s adaptation to school.” (Slide 2)

Changing the child’s daily routine compared to kindergarten, increasing physical activity.
The need to change the child’s educational activities at home, creating conditions for the child’s physical activity between lessons.
Monitoring parents for the correct posture during homework, observing the rules for lighting the workplace.
Prevention of myopia, curvature of the spine, training of small muscles of the hands.
Mandatory introduction of vitamin preparations, fruits and vegetables into the child’s diet.
Organization proper nutrition child.
Parents care about hardening the child, maximizing the development of physical activity, creating a sports corner in the house, purchasing sports equipment: jump ropes, dumbbells, etc.
Fostering child independence and responsibility as the main qualities of preserving one’s own health.

Discussion of the issue " Psychological conditions child’s adaptation to school.” (Slide 2)

Creation of a favorable psychological climate for the child by all family members.
The role of a child’s self-esteem in adaptation to school (the lower the self-esteem, the more difficulties the child has in school).
The first condition for school success is the child’s self-worth for his parents.
It is obligatory for parents to show interest in the school, the class in which the child is studying, and in every school day he or she lives.
Informal communication with your child after the school day.
Mandatory acquaintance with his classmates and the opportunity to communicate with them after school.
Inadmissibility of physical measures of influence, intimidation, criticism of the child, especially in the presence of other people (grandparents, peers).
Elimination of such punishments as deprivation of pleasure, physical and mental punishment.
Taking into account the child’s temperament during the period of adaptation to school education. Slow and uncommunicative children have a much harder time getting used to school and quickly lose interest in it if they feel violence, sarcasm and cruelty from adults.
Giving the child independence in educational work and organization of reasonable control over his educational activities.
Encouraging the child and not only for academic success. Moral stimulation of the child's achievements. Development of self-control and self-esteem, self-sufficiency of the child.

Relationship with the child in the family.

1. Parent Communication Scalewith a child. (Slide 3)
First of all, your child, of course, communicates with you, and the climate in the family for him mainly depends on you and your emotions. And the climate of the family is an indicator of how the child lives in the house, how he feels when he is next to you, whether he is humiliated or soaring in the skies. The scale of communication between parents and child will tell you all this.

Parenting methods that cause a child
positive emotions	negative emotions
How many times have you today baby (baby, baby)
	reproached
encouraged	suppressed
approved
kissed	accused
hugged	condemned
	rejected
sympathized	pulled back
empathized	disgraced
smiled	read the notations
admired	deprived of something necessary
made pleasant surprises	spanked, flogged
gave gifts	put in a corner

Using this scale, you can approximately understand the baby’s condition at the moment and in the future. given time, find out how the child is treated at home, what emotions prevail in the process of your communication with the baby.

2. Rules that will help the child communicate. (Slide 4)

The famous teacher and psychologist Simon Soloveichik, whose name is significant for a whole generation of students, parents and teachers, in one of his books published rules that can help parents prepare their child for independent life among their classmates at school during the adaptation period. Parents need to explain these rules to the child, and, with their help, prepare the child for adult life.

Don’t take someone else’s, but don’t give away yours either.
They asked - give it, they try to take it away - try to defend yourself.
Don't fight without a reason.
If they call you to play, go, if they don’t call you, ask permission to play together, it’s not shameful.
Play honestly, don't let your comrades down.
Don't tease anyone, don't whine, don't beg for anything. Don't ask anyone for anything twice.
Be attentive wherever you need to be attentive.
Don't cry because of your grades, be proud. Don’t argue with the teacher because of grades and don’t be offended by the teacher for grades. Try to do everything on time and think about good results, you will definitely have them.
Don't snitch or slander anyone.
Try to be careful.
Say more often: let's be friends, let's play, let's go home together.
Remember! You are not the best, you are not the worst! You are unique to yourself, parents, teachers, friends!

3. Phrases for communicating with your child.

Not recommended phrases for communication: (Slide 5)
- I told you a thousand times that...
-How many times should I repeat...
-What are you thinking...
-Is it really difficult for you to remember that...
-You're becoming...
-You're just like...
-Leave me alone, I have no time...
-Why is Lena (Nastya, Vasya, etc.) like this, and you are not...

Recommended phrases for communication: (Slide 6)
-You are smart, beautiful (etc.).
-It’s so good that I have you.
-You're doing great.
-I love you very much.
-How well you did it, teach me this too.
-Thank you, I am very grateful to you.
-If it weren't for you, I would never have coped with this.

4. Some advice from a psychologist “How to live at least one day without hassle.” (Slide 7-8)

Wake up the child calmly. When he wakes up, he should see your smile and hear your voice.

Don't say goodbye, warning and guiding: “Look, don’t play around!”, “So that today there were no marks!” Wish you luck, find a few kind words.

Forget the phrase: “What did you get today?” When meeting your child after school, don’t bombard him with a thousand questions, let him relax a little, remember how you yourself feel after a working day.

If you see that the child is upset and silent, do not question him; let him calm down and then tell everything himself.

After listening to the teacher’s comments, do not rush to give a thrashing. Try to have your conversation with the teacher without the child.

After school, do not rush to sit down for homework. The child needs 2 hours of rest. Evening classes useless.

Don't force yourself to do all the exercises at once: 20 minutes of classes - 10 minutes break.

Do not sit while preparing lessons "over the soul." Let your child work on his own. If your help is needed, be patient: a calm tone and support are needed.

When communicating with your child, try to avoid the following conditions: “If you do, then...”

Find it during the day at least half an hour, when will you belong only for the child.

Choose unified tactics communication with a child everyone adults in the family. All disagreements decide about pedagogical tactics without him.

Be attentive to your child's complaints of headaches, fatigue, feeling unwell. Most often these are objective indicators overwork.

Please note that even "big kids" They really love a bedtime story, a song, and affectionate stroking. All this will calm the child and help relieve the stress that has accumulated during the day.

Results and conclusions:

Help children overcome the adaptation period.
-Provide support to children.
-Provide the child with decent living and learning conditions.

Literature:

Korneeva E.N. oh these first-graders!.. Yaroslavl. "Academy of Development" 2000.
Alla Barkan. Practical psychology for parents, or how to learn to understand your child. Moscow. "Ast-Press" 2000.
Aloeva M.A. best parent meetings in elementary school. Roston-on-Don. Phoenix 2007.
Zaitseva V. 7 years is not only the beginning of school life. Moscow. "First of September" 2008.