Avoid child stress, and parent stress too, with a structured work timetable!
Hi everyone, In South Africa, our leadership has just extended our lockdown. As I’m aware many countries find themselves in this same position, I’d like to help those parents struggling to structure their children's work timetable. Your kids must keep up with their school work, or any form of learning. Use this time to get ahead of any problems your children may have with content, revise and practice!
First, I'd like us to look at children's age and lesson length. Your child's age will play a large role in how long their lessons will be and how many lessons they will be able to sit through per day. We know that children's ability to concentrate for longer periods increases with age, however, this is also a learned skill. Concentration should be taught and can be at an early age. More on that, however, at a later stage. Let's start with the youngest learners, namely pre-k and kindergarteners. You should aim for about 10- 12 minutes per learning activity, this will allow enough time for tasks to be completed in a timeous manner without your young child feeling rushed or stressed. Please also remember to keep tasks and activities age-related.Young children should start their learning early in the day and require frequent breaks. Including beaks between learning activities. aim to work for 2.5 to 3 hours a day with your child. Ensure to provide for a 5-minute break between learning activities.
PLEASE do not put time restictions on art activities!
Let's move on to grade R. These learners can spend 15 minutes on each learning activity and are capable of completing a 3-hour workday. Allow frequent breaks and give your child a 5-minute break between learning activities. Don't forget art! Snacktime for pre k and grade R should be after all work has been completed. Please ensure your children have a healthy breakfast before they start working. Allow toilet breaks whenever necessary, however, use your discretion and try to avoid too many lesson interruptions.
Grades 1, 2 and 3 can spend 15 - 20 minutes on each learning activity. Their work will require more thought and attention to detail, they are also older and should be able to concentrate for at least 15 minutes at a time. This age group is more than capable of navigating a 4.5-hour workday with a 5-minute break between learning activities, as well as a snack break. This should ideally be after the first 2 learning activities have been completed and should last between 10 - 12 minutes. 2 snack breaks are only necessary if you intend for your child to work for more than 4 hours. Try not to work longer though.
High schoolers should be able to work without time restrictions while displaying self-control and good time management skills. However, if your high schooler is struggling with time management, allocate 45 minutes for challenging activities and between 20-30 minutes for easier activities. Use your discretion when deciding on a time and keep your child's abilities, strengths and weaknesses in mind. Allow time for 2 breaks during the workday.
Always remember to give your child the opportunity during their breaks to get up, stretch and move around. Allow them to walk in the garden and get some fresh air!
I hope I've been able to shed some light on structuring a daily timetable. If you need help or have any questions about structuring your child's daily timetable, you can email me at [email protected].
Until next time guys, remember to #stay safe stay home!