The transition from primary to secondary school can be overwhelming for any student. In this article, we share some tips on what you can do as a parent to make this huge change a smooth and easy one for your child!
Congratulations to you and your child for completing the PSLE! Your family is due a well-deserved break after this milestone.
That being said, you and your child probably already have questions. Chief among them is perhaps this: What comes next?
Well, the easy answer to that is secondary school. While this is obviously an exciting thought, it would be perfectly normal for your child to feel just a bit worried about it.
Fortunately, there are easy ways to get ready for the primary school to secondary school transition. In this article, we’ll take you through the tips we’ve found most useful at Aspire Hub!
When preparing for big changes, it always helps when you know what to expect. That applies even to children.
Give your child a brief overview of what to expect in secondary school so they know about it ahead of time. Explain what might be different from their primary school experiences, for example.
It may also help to assure your child that secondary schools typically have an orientation week or process for students. This is to get them used to the secondary school environment and help them better assimilate into the new routine.
In secondary school, your child will be expected to be more independent. He’ll start managing crucial tasks himself, such as revision and homework.
Even the teachers in secondary school will provide less guidance and direct instructions. For instance, they’ll take more of an observer’s role when it comes to non-academic or co-curricular activities.
This means that when people ask how to prepare for secondary school, one of the answers is always to prepare your child for independence. A big part of that is boosting their self-confidence and competence.
Here are three easy ways to do that:
Exploring your child’s unique talents and achievements can do a lot to prepare them for the primary school to secondary school transition. It strengthens their self-confidence and gives them some idea of what to look forward to!
Most secondary schools offer a wide range of co-curricular activities and subjects as well. This will give your child more opportunities to build on their interests and strengths.
During the first few terms, your child can actually take advantage of that to explore what matches their preferences and strengths best. Among other things, they can also experiment as they adjust.
The thought of entering a new school environment might be nerve-racking for your child. They might feel slightly anxious about having to make new friends or take on new subjects.
That’s why it’s so important to support them emotionally during this period. Allow them to voice any concerns and provide assurance of your constant support and guidance.
And above all, foster an attitude that encourages them to see it as an opportunity instead of an obstacle. We’ve already talked about this in our article on the growth mindset – check it out to learn more!
Compared to primary school, your child will have to take 10 examinable subjects in lower secondary school. That’s a significant jump from the 4 core subjects from primary!
As you expect, this will take some adjustment. Your child might also find that not every subject comes naturally to them.
Reassure them that it’s fine and absolutely normal if that happens. Tell them it takes some time to manage the heavier workload. After that, help them come up with a way to better deal with it.
For example, advise them to set up a study routine. You can also ask them or monitor their performance to see if they need additional support in any of their subjects.
At Aspire Hub, we have S1 programmes tailored to help with the primary to secondary school transition. Our tutor coaches essentially help your child get used to workload, provide an early introduction to the subjects they’ll learn in school, and so on.
We also have small group lessons (maximum of 6-8 students) to ensure each child gets personalised attention from the tutor. Combined with consultations for areas of uncertainty, this helps students manage the transition more smoothly.
On the whole, the transition to secondary school is an exciting one to look forward to. Provided a child has a strong support system to help with the change, they should thrive.
If you want to learn more about how we can help you with that at Aspire Hub, please talk to us. You can even come and attend one of our trial classes to see how we work!
We’ll be happy to show you what we can do for you and your child. Enquire about our secondary school programmes today!
Congratulations to you and your child for completing the PSLE! Your family is due a well-deserved break after this milestone.
That being said, you and your child probably already have questions. Chief among them is perhaps this: What comes next?
Well, the easy answer to that is secondary school. While this is obviously an exciting thought, it would be perfectly normal for your child to feel just a bit worried about it.
Fortunately, there are easy ways to get ready for the primary school to secondary school transition. In this article, we’ll take you through the tips we’ve found most useful at Aspire Hub!
When preparing for big changes, it always helps when you know what to expect. That applies even to children.
Give your child a brief overview of what to expect in secondary school so they know about it ahead of time. Explain what might be different from their primary school experiences, for example.
It may also help to assure your child that secondary schools typically have an orientation week or process for students. This is to get them used to the secondary school environment and help them better assimilate into the new routine.
In secondary school, your child will be expected to be more independent. He’ll start managing crucial tasks himself, such as revision and homework.
Even the teachers in secondary school will provide less guidance and direct instructions. For instance, they’ll take more of an observer’s role when it comes to non-academic or co-curricular activities.
This means that when people ask how to prepare for secondary school, one of the answers is always to prepare your child for independence. A big part of that is boosting their self-confidence and competence.
Here are three easy ways to do that:
Exploring your child’s unique talents and achievements can do a lot to prepare them for the primary school to secondary school transition. It strengthens their self-confidence and gives them some idea of what to look forward to!
Most secondary schools offer a wide range of co-curricular activities and subjects as well. This will give your child more opportunities to build on their interests and strengths.
During the first few terms, your child can actually take advantage of that to explore what matches their preferences and strengths best. Among other things, they can also experiment as they adjust.
The thought of entering a new school environment might be nerve-racking for your child. They might feel slightly anxious about having to make new friends or take on new subjects.
That’s why it’s so important to support them emotionally during this period. Allow them to voice any concerns and provide assurance of your constant support and guidance.
And above all, foster an attitude that encourages them to see it as an opportunity instead of an obstacle. We’ve already talked about this in our article on the growth mindset – check it out to learn more!
Compared to primary school, your child will have to take 10 examinable subjects in lower secondary school. That’s a significant jump from the 4 core subjects from primary!
As you expect, this will take some adjustment. Your child might also find that not every subject comes naturally to them.
Reassure them that it’s fine and absolutely normal if that happens. Tell them it takes some time to manage the heavier workload. After that, help them come up with a way to better deal with it.
For example, advise them to set up a study routine. You can also ask them or monitor their performance to see if they need additional support in any of their subjects.
At Aspire Hub, we have S1 programmes tailored to help with the primary to secondary school transition. Our tutor coaches essentially help your child get used to workload, provide an early introduction to the subjects they’ll learn in school, and so on.
We also have small group lessons (maximum of 6-8 students) to ensure each child gets personalised attention from the tutor. Combined with consultations for areas of uncertainty, this helps students manage the transition more smoothly.
On the whole, the transition to secondary school is an exciting one to look forward to. Provided a child has a strong support system to help with the change, they should thrive.
If you want to learn more about how we can help you with that at Aspire Hub, please talk to us. You can even come and attend one of our trial classes to see how we work!
We’ll be happy to show you what we can do for you and your child. Enquire about our secondary school programmes today!
