How to Prepare Your Child for Secondary School
Every person eventually advances through the stages of maturity. Depending on one’s grade level, these phases apply to academics. The shift from primary to secondary school is an essential step toward personal growth and maturity, even if change can be frightening since people are afraid of the unknown. You might think there isn’t much you can do as a parent to support your child during these times of change. Nevertheless, there are more options than you may think to assist your child in moving from elementary to secondary school.
Table of Contents
What are the differences between primary and secondary school?
Before we discuss how one can guide their children towards transitioning from primary to secondary school, we must first discuss what are the differences between the two. If you are a parent, chances are that your memory of your days at primary may be hazy and you will find it hard to differentiate primary from secondary. So here are a few key changes that your child has to go through between primary and secondary school.
1. More workload
A student will unavoidably have to manage an increasing workload as he moves up the academic ladder. Compared to when he was still in primary school, these include the number of topics he must take each day, the amount of homework he must complete, and the number of projects he must turn in. This can be a shocking revelation to the student’s mind and body. They will need to adjust to these changes both mentally and physically. So, it is a common sight to see your child get tired while they are still transitioning from primary or secondary as their bodies cannot yet physically keep up with the increased workload secondary school offers.
2. New environment
In addition to the workload, your child’s learning environment will also alter. In addition to being substantially larger, the physical environment—including the buildings and facilities—will have several additional features not found in elementary schools. This is to meet secondary students’ academic requirements. Additionally, your child will grow up in a very different social and psychological environment. Everyone in elementary school is a member of the same large social circle. Once students start secondary school, though, this large circle becomes narrower as they decide to stick with a select group of their peers.
3. New classmates
A person will have to deal with making new friends and getting to know his new classmates if he transfers to a secondary school where he doesn’t know anyone or when only a small percentage of his former classmates attend the same secondary school as him. For introverts who struggle with socializing, this can be a nightmare. Additionally, you should encourage your child to develop friends if he is already one since the friendships among classmates can greatly aid in your child’s adjustment to secondary school.
4. More complicated topics
In addition to the increased effort, secondary school introduces a whole new range of challenging and astounding subjects. Your child will encounter abstract concepts and imaginary numbers that they have little or never encountered in elementary school, making this a very difficult transition for them. The good news is that your child will learn these subjects in a methodical and regulated way. As students advance through secondary school, the topics’ level of difficulty will likewise increase.
5. Puberty
The natural maturation process of the human body causes puberty. Some females will finish puberty a few years into secondary school, even if they may begin it later in primary school. On the other hand, males will probably start puberty concurrently with high school. One major element that might significantly alter your child’s secondary school experience is puberty. In primary school, they may have valued play and spent a lot of time with you; but, in secondary school, they may be a little more aloof and prefer to hang out with their peers.
How to prepare your child to transition from primary to secondary school?
The natural maturation process of the human body causes puberty. Some females will finish puberty a few years into secondary school, even if they may begin it later in primary school. On the other hand, males will probably start puberty concurrently with high school. One major element that might significantly alter your child’s secondary school experience is puberty. In primary school, they may have valued play and spent a lot of time with you; but, in secondary school, they may be a little more aloof and prefer to hang out with their peers.
1. Always be available to talk
Establishing effective communication with your child should be your priority. If you don’t ask someone directly, you’ll never know what issues or challenges they are dealing with. Always be willing to talk to your child and be prepared to offer guidance when needed. The secret to the success of your operation will be parent-child communication. Talking to your child about how their day went can help them adapt much better since they can communicate to you about the things that are bothering them and you can offer them personally verified and practical advice to assist them navigate their everyday secondary life.
2. Research and prepare
Other than the fact that they were drawn to that school for a certain reason, a child will have no idea what kind of school they are entering. Be it closeness to your home, a cute uniform, or even a good acceptance rate for state institutions. They won’t be conscious of the entire environment they’ll be living in, though. It is the responsibility of the parent to find out in advance what kind of secondary school their child wishes to attend and to make the necessary arrangements for it. To help your child get ready and have a more seamless first few weeks of secondary school, try to ascertain what your child will require once they begin studying there.
3. Listen to your child’s problems
It will become psychologically more difficult for people to confide in others about their troubles as they approach adolescence. And you can even be left out of that exclusive group if you haven’t developed a strong relationship with your child. Make an effort to hear your child’s concerns and refrain from cutting them off in order to hear the entire narrative. Wait for them to finish speaking before interrupting them to correct them on what they should have done. Then, try to offer wise counsel so they won’t worry about the same problem again.
4. Let them explore
If given enough time, a person will figure out how to handle a particular problem on their own. This may also apply to a child’s move from elementary to secondary school. A parent has the ability to relinquish some control over their child and allow them to explore their new environment. This will demonstrate that you believe in your child and that they are mature enough to earn your confidence. Furthermore, if someone has a sense of duty, they will make every effort to fulfill it. This can hasten your child’s development from a lively and carefree elementary schooler to a trustworthy and responsible secondary schooler.
5. Remember to set boundaries
This may seem like a contradiction to the last piece of advice, but keep in mind that peer pressure is as strong as it gets in this day and age. You should take the opportunity to explain that there will be boundaries that your child should not exceed, even if you are allowing them to explore their new environment. They can roam about and find stuff on their own. They still have to behave and follow the law and morality, though. The list of activities they can investigate still excludes using illegal narcotics, going out late at night, drinking alcohol when underage, and smoking.
6. Encourage them
All people need encouragement from time to time. And now more than ever, your transitioning child needs it. To increase their self-confidence and motivation to attempt and adjust to their new surroundings, encourage them to make friends, put in more effort, and give it their all. Supporting your child will give them new energy and raise their spirits. Additionally, it demonstrates your unwavering support for your child throughout their entire journey and helps them know that there is always someone behind them as they start secondary school.
7. Talk to them about your own experience
There is a saying that goes something like, “Experience is the best teacher”. This is most likely the case because you can only truly understand the gravity and significance of a situation by experience. You have gone through the transition from primary to secondary school, but your child has not yet. Telling them about your experience moving from primary to secondary school would be very beneficial to them. Even if kids might not have direct experience, they will at least have a guideline that is comparable to what their parents did in the past.
Conclusion
One of the most important turning points in a child’s intellectual and personal development is moving from primary to secondary school. Even though the changes can be daunting, parents are essential in helping their kids get through this phase. Parents may ease the transition by sharing personal experiences, promoting independence while establishing boundaries, preparing them for new tasks, and keeping lines of communication open. With support, compassion, and patience, kids can boldly enter this new stage of their education and growth.
Carelle
Carelle is a teacher who has been through the ups and downs of the teacher and learner life. She wishes for every learner to gain educational satisfaction that will help embody the people they want to be in the future.
