Ways to Prepare Children for School and Improve Performance
Kindergarten students need between 10-12 Hours of quality sleep per night
- Aim to have a set sleep schedule, from about 7:30PM to 6:30AM.
- Sleep deprived students often exhibit ADHD-like symptoms. Consistency is important! Getting 13 hours of sleep on Friday and Saturday night doesn’t make up for getting less during the week!
Keep Tablets, Phones, TVs, and other Screens out of the bedroom
- Even if they’re not in use, it has been found that kids think about using them and lose quality sleep.
Limit sugar intake
- The typical student consumes 200-300% more sugar than what doctors recommend. (Major sources of sugar: Soda, fruit drinks, candy, desserts, sweetened yogurts, sweetened breads)
- Students who consume more sugar are routinely among our lowest performing students.
Read to your children! The more you read out loud to your children, the better!
- Reading stimulates the brain and helps a child think, focus, and learn new words. Focus on reading books that challenge them to think and introduce them to new words. Talk about the books after reading them.
- By Kindergarten, the average child from a welfare family has heard 20 million words spoken, while the average child from a professional family has heard 50 million words spoken. This difference has major impacts on child vocabulary and comprehension.
Practice the basics: Counting, identifying numbers, reciting the alphabet, identifying letters, and speaking in complete sentences
- Let your child speak. Require that they verbally express themselves. It’s sometimes easier to cut a child off and provide them with something that you know they’re trying to ask for. . . resist that temptation.
Dramatically limit time to TVs, tablets, computers, smart phones, and video games
- Digital devices are frequently used to distract kids and keep them entertained. Unfortunately, they stay distracted when they get to school. About 80% of the children who are disciplinary challenges are those who spend the most time watching TV, playing video games, etc.
Teach your child what is right and what is wrong, and have consequences.
- Use positive consequences for behaviors you want to encourage. Use negative consequences (discipline) for behaviors you want your child to stop. Teach your child right from wrong; they will reflect you.
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