As we enter 2020, it is only normal to strategize, goal plan, create resolutions and new schedules for personal success in the new year. But did you know that doing the same for your child’s new year can be just as good?
If you think about why we set goals or resolutions for ourselves, it’s to create positive new habits by following an individualized plan. So if you’re able to do so for yourself… it only makes sense to do the same action planning for your child so they have similar success in the new year as well!
Let’s look a little closer.
*Preschoolers Thrive on Structure and Planning too!
Plans and routines help in organizing your thoughts, your events, managing your calendar and more. Similarly, children thrive on the same structure and organization within their day. There is a reason why your child’s teacher reviews their daily schedule each morning to start the day. Not only knowing what to expect from their day, but also knowing what they are working towards leads to learning, fun, and success in the classroom just as it does in your adult life.
Thinking on a grander scale, its a good idea to do the same with regards to annual planning too. Below you’ll see how you can create new years resolutions and an action plan for your little one. Now obviously you can adapt each of the items to fit what you would like your goals to be and so forth. This is just to provide a general template for you to build off of.
*Picking your Goal Setting Areas
In order to create a general template for your preschoolers goal setting, you should keep the areas of focus small. You do not want to overwhelm yourself or your child with too much. Two general, but important, areas we are going to target are the school arena and behavioral temperament. The reason we are focusing on these two is because they are most likely the two most prominent factors your child is working through at this age. So let’s jump in!
*School Year Goals:
The first area we can create a success plan for is the school domain. The following areas are just an idea of what can be worked on.
1. Finish the school year strong.
If you would like to maintain progress…
Although it is a new calendar year, it is actually the middle of the school year. However, this does not mean you cannot set new goals! January is when most students return from vacation and is a great jumping off point to get ready for the second half of the year. For this goal you can help your little one continue with their current trajectory if already successful. Make sure you maintain the same routines or create new ones if you want to step it up a notch.
If you would like to further their progress…
If you are looking to possibly get your child to flourish more in school, then you need to create at home routines that support the work that’s happening in school. That way your child will understand that the learning that is happening in school is just as important at home as well.
For example, set up a special reading time at home that discusses similar topics, or honestly, just helps minimize screen time, and focuses on more organic learning. If your child is old enough to receive at home assignments, make sure you have a specific time of day to accomplish those tasks and be consistent with it.
Use a reinforcement chart
You can also create a rewards chart or use another type of reinforcer. For younger children you can give them a sticker for their chart or maybe allow them to have an extra book at bed time if they had good messages from school. For older children you can provide a more mature reward if they are studying consistently and receiving top grades. All those items are specific to you and your family and can be adapted as you see fit.
However, the results will be the same. Children, just as adults do, work and play to do well and have fun. So provide them with the opportunity to do that and be consistent. The more consistency you have, the more of a habit it will be and the less of a push back you will receive.
2. Schedule classmate playdates.
The next part of helping your child excel in school is creating and maintaining classroom friendships. The reason this is important is because you want your child to learn how to socialize appropriately and make sure this behavior is maintained within classroom settings as well as other contexts. The way this is done is be scheduling play dates with your child’s peers.
Now, this can tend to be thought of as not that important, but the repercussions are significant. Allowing for classmate playdates helps foster your child’s relationships and strengthens their confidence in the classroom and with children there own age. The more frequent play dates are, the more well acclimated we see students in the classroom.
3. Join an extracurricular play class.
Going off of the playdate suggestion, another way to help your child create further success in the classroom is by adding a different variety of classes to their repertoire. This can be anything from an extra art class, music class, gym class, swim class, or even just a play group. The more your child works in group settings with children their own age, the more independent and well adjusted they will be in school. Being in social settings with peers their own age allows for them to expand their language and vocabulary, strengthen their communication skills, practice turn-taking, learn appropriate group social behaviors, and more.
4. Find a summer camp.
Taking the extracurricular idea one step further, if your child is old enough, you can always look for a summer program as well. Most schools run from September through June so the summer months slow down the overall progress that has occurred during the school year. For older children it may make sense to take a break during the summer months since as you get older the harder school work is. However, during the early childhood years, a lot of the learning happens through play and socialization groups. This should be very much continued through the summer so there is no regression in skills.
The ideas for the summer months will be the same. Definitely continue to schedule playdates, sign up for one or two classes if possible, and if eligible, sign up for a summer camp. The summer camp will have all these things included already so you know your child is strengthening their skills over the summer and will be ready for the school year in September.
*Summary
We’ve run out of space here parents, but do not fret! The next post will discuss 3 more new years goals and list some more strategies for overall success for your child’s 2020. Make sure to visit part 2 of this post next, or just click here!
And as always, If you have any questions, comments, or ideas please share them in the comments section below with your fellow parents! And definitely subscribe to the newsletter for updates and ongoing happenings at TylekTeaches.com. The subscription link is just on the right hand side of this post. See you there!
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