Sharpen your pencils and fill your backpacks because school time is here! Eloise Briey, a marketing and boarding assistant for Swiss International Scientific School Dubai shares her expertise on the subject of ‘Back to School’. 

Summer holidays mean later nights and more lie-ins, so getting to bed earlier might be trickier straight away. To make life a little easier start introducing earlier bedtimes and earlier mornings a week before school begins so your child can gradually get used to their school time sleeping pattern. You can also make sure your children are eating at the same times they would be at school so they can acclimatise to their school eating schedule.  Have conversations about their past school year. Start with asking general questions about what they learned last year to refresh their memory and remind them of what they know, ready for this year.

With the summer holidays coming to an end, the start of the school term can sometimes be met with mixed emotions, so it’s important that you and your children are ready. If your child is starting preschool or kindergarten for the first time - it is a big milestone, which can be exciting and scary. To ease you and your child into this next phase we have put together some tips, give them a try!

0-2 Years 

Starting preschool or kindergarten:

• Introduce a routine: To make life a little easier start introducing earlier bedtimes and earlier mornings a week before school begins so your child can gradually get used to their school time sleeping pattern. You can also make sure your children are eating at the same times they would be at school so they can acclimatise to their school eating schedule.
• Talk about it: Build up a positive narrative and talk about how exciting it will be to go to school. Discuss in detail about how they will get to school, what they will do, the end of the school day and what will happen at home in the evening. During the first few weeks of school, be sure to talk to your child about their feelings about school, friends, teachers, and new activities.
• Read books about starting school: Reading together is a great way to start the conversation. A few days before school begins read books with stories your child can relate to, especially if the characters are attending school. This will provide a boost of confidence and help with the first-day jitters.

For children who are yet to go to school:

• Promote Independence: Ask your child to do little errands around the house, ask them to bring their shoes, or ball or a toy. This will help them practise receptive language skills and how to follow directions. Doing this daily will create a sense of accomplishment and independence for your child.
• Reading books: Board books can be their best friends. Introduce them to the world with colours, emotions, and fun characters by scheduling reading time every day.
• Pretend Play: Encourage them to use their own imagination and open up a world of fun and play. To get them ready and excited for when it will be school time, you can set up a classroom with your little one and showcase how much fun learning can be with friends (for now their favourite stuffed toys).

3-5 Years

• Some children love heading back to school, to see their friends and enjoy after school activities. However, some children may be a little more apprehensive or may even be dreading it. Have a conversation with your children before they return, ask them what they are looking forward to and if there’s anything they are worried about. This will give your child an opportunity to speak up about any concerns they have and give you a chance to solve them to settle your child. It may just be a case of speaking to them and getting them into the spirit of returning to school. For any major concerns, you will have time to speak to a teacher once the term starts, to allow any extra support for your child to be comfortable.
• Communicate to your children, with any school updates you may have received and check if they were sent home with any letters or news when the summer term ended. This will allow you and your children to have open communication and a clear knowledge of the expected routine after the summer holidays.
• A great way to plan for the new term is to set some goals for yourself and your children. Whether that’s getting homework completed or setting aside an hour a day to help them with homework. Planning your time can positively impact how your children perform. If they don’t make their own lunches, you could set them a time the night before to get their lunches ready to introduce them to thinking and planning more independently. You may wish to set goals for grades with certain rewards for each grade they achieve this year. This gives them the motivation to do well and start the school year with a positive determined attitude.

6-9 years 

• Some children love heading back to school, to see their friends and enjoy after school activities. However, some children may be a little more apprehensive or may even be dreading it. Have a conversation with your children before they return, ask them what they are looking forward to and if there’s anything they are worried about. This will give your child an opportunity to speak up about any concerns they have and give you a chance to solve them to settle your child. It may just be a case of speaking to them and getting them into the spirit of returning to school. For any major concerns, you will have time to speak to a teacher once the term starts, to allow any extra support for your child to feel comfortable.
• A great way to plan for the new term is to set some goals for yourself and your children. Whether that’s getting homework completed or setting aside an hour a day to help them with homework. Planning your time can positively impact how your children perform. If they don’t make their own lunches, you could set them a time the night before to get their lunches ready to introduce them to thinking and planning more independently. You may wish to set goals for grades with certain rewards for each grade they achieve this year. This gives them the motivation to do well and start the school year with a positive determined attitude
• Communicate to your children, with any school updates you may have received and check if they were sent home with any letters or news. This will allow you and your children to have open communication and a clear knowledge of the expected routine.