Goodbye, Easter Bilby-shaped chocolates. In a few weeks, and hello… Autumn!?!
Yes, you read that right.
Coming back from the long Easter weekend, your child will be back at school for less than two weeks before the school holidays start. And we all know what that means— the only thing on a teenager’s mind is switching off from school the second they put their pen down in that last exam.
But we know better. School doesn’t end here. Students are bound to be back and must be ready for another term. So, what can you do to tie up Term 1 properly and help them review, recharge and refocus during the April holidays so they start Term 2 motivated and confident they’ll improve across all their school results?
#1: Review and get rid of the bad.
How did your child do last term?
Now’s the time to really think about it. Evaluate feedback from the first-term parent-teacher interviews. Ask them about their thoughts on their performance in the past term. With exam results coming in, you can also use them as a reference for a micro-analysis of their performance for the term. Even better—make sure they bring the physical exam paper home with them. Exam submissions are a goldmine of data and information on where a student is performing well and pinpointing the key areas to pick up easy marks.
Parents should proactively use the school holidays to reset their child for Term 2 so they can adjust their education strategy based on their goals. If they have already done well, then you can use this time to set the next sustainable goal and plan to reach it together. If your child didn’t get the results they were expecting or hoping for, this is the perfect opportunity to help them constructively look for ways to catch up and improve in the next term.
#2: Recharge for maximum impact.
What does my child need during the holidays to start Term 2 in the best possible position?
So, you’ve highlighted your child’s performance dips and pain points. Now, it’s time to help your child recharge from the draining previous term.
It may seem obvious, but most parents skip having a conversation with children about how they would like to spend their break. It’s actually best to talk about this early on so you can plan for your family’s activities and make sure your child can recharge in the best way for them.
For some teenagers, recharging can look like catching up with friends or going to an out-of-town trip with the family. For those who fell sick or short in performance during the term, this time can be their best opportunity to look back and talk about what happened in a constructive and supportive way.
These conversations help your child become more proactive than reactive in spending their time during holiday breaks. It also helps reduce their stress levels and leverage their time to plan for the next term.
#3: Refocus and plan ahead together.
Which areas should my child focus on to achieve maximum improvement?
Working with thousands of students, we saw that there’s an 80-20 rule: Your child can zone in their efforts and attention to only 20% so they can get that 80% boost in impact. The parents’ mission is to figure out where this 20% can be found so their child can create the most positive changes in their learning.
Based on Kalibrate-Ed’s experience, there are three common learning areas parents can focus on to help their child unlock their best results:
- Being organised and proactive: Stays ahead of deadlines and knows how to manage overwhelm.
- Sustained motivation and fuel: Has a clear plan to reach their goals and confidence in their path.
- Excellent results and marks: Effectively studies for exams and adapts to their learning environment.
Each student is different from another, and the weight of each key learning area varies between teenagers. Our Academic Focus Prioritiser tool can help you simplify and pinpoint which area of learning your child can make the most impact on. Continue reading to access this free tool.
After your child takes their well-deserved rest, involve them in your planning process. Talk to them about the areas they need help with and let them build a sense of ownership over their learning strategy. This way, they become driven to take steps on their own and create a chain of wins they will be proud of.
Reviewing and adapting your child’s strategic plan is essential to optimise it and give your child the best results. For instance, your child faces a big 10-week Term 2 after the April holiday break. So, it’s best to have a strategy that ensures they have enough fuel to power through this long and hectic term.
You can also bring an education expert to the mix and help elevate your child’s learning strategy up a notch. Another source of guidance for your child can do wonders for their future result and make their journey less overwhelming.
If you want a helpful starting point for your child’s improvement in Term 2, click the button below to access our Academic Focus Prioritiser and identify which key learning area your child can make the most impact on.
Discover Learning Area To Prioritise