LIFELONG LEARNING HUB | HOW DO GRADE 1 STUDENTS ADAPT TO A NEW ENVIRONMENT?

What worries parents the most when your child moves to the Primary school environment, having to adapt to many new things?

Recently UTS have received many questions about how to help Grade 1 students adapt to new environments since they have to be exposed to completely new environment, new teachers, new friends as well as learning method comparing to their Preschool’s.

It is easy to understand that anxiety of parents, Grade 1 is also the first year of your child’s school year. Moreover, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, our children had an online study semester at home. Although children have to study and communicate with friends through small screens, parents can still observe your children and they also study at home – an environment that is so familiar to them. In just a few days, the Grade 1 Students will go to school, and when they have to adapt themselves with the more serious academic environment, there will be no more parents or teachers as pampered as in Preschool. Understanding these concerns, UTS will help parents find the complete answer to the above question.

Suitable environment

Entering a new school after leaving the dear Preschool, our children will surely be surprised. When they were in preschool, the space surrounding them was colorful classrooms, visual supplies and a play area. In order to help them feel the closeness, love and less initial surprises, the preparation of the classroom before picking up Students to school is always prioritized by UTS and completed early.

UTS teachers have devoted time and enthusiasm to preparing a environment to welcome Grade 1 Students with the hope of bringing a lively learning, living and attracting space associated with the knowledge that they will learn as letters, numbers, geometry, etc. This way of arranging classroom space will help them gradually adapt and ready for learning activities. In addition, the selection of colors as well as the arrangement of classroom space is always focused, contributing to creating a sense of lightness, not affecting the focus of children’s learning.

Organizing cohesive activities

From the first days to class, under the guidance of teachers, Grade 1 Students will explore the space and areas in the school; name, usage of items at school, in class. The activities organized by teachers seem simple but extremely useful such as:
• Become brave explorers on the UTS starship.
• Decorate the nameplate themselves and attach it to personal cabinets, desks, school supplies.
• Own a Eagle Card with their own UTS logo.
• Participate in group games, interact with classes of the same and upper grades.

All the activities that Students experience in the early days at school help them feel the closeness, cohesion and belonging to themselves in this place, opening a journey of sustainable learning and development at UTS.

Design diverse and appropriate teaching activities

Currently, the children have entered the Grade 1 and have an online study semester at home, they must have become accustomed to a more committed learning style, more advanced academic knowledge at the Preschool stage. However, due to the psychological characteristics of age, Grade 1 Students tend not to have high concentration, easily distracted by external factors. Understanding the changes and characteristics of them, the teachers always focus on building an attractive and lively lesson system; try to convey playful, close. In the lessons, Students can transform into explorers, great racers or a talented chef to conquer the content of knowledge.

Besides absorbing knowledge during lessons, UTS Students also discover knowledge through experiential activities, picnics, learning projects, etc., highly effective in helping Students explore, explore, reveal their strengths and develop their personal abilities.

Every semester, UTS organizes picnic activities combined with learning. Grade 1 Students are involved in specific activities such as exploring the farm to learn about nature and the world around them; experience the professions through a career-oriented tour; etc. It can be seen that all learning activities at UTS are aimed at Students who are at the center, they are promoted their inherent abilities and improve their capacity.

The child’s companion

The last and most important factor in helping Grade 1 Students get used to the new school is the teacher.
Before starting the new school year at UTS, teachers always take the time to learn about the personality, family circumstances, habits of each Student to be able to design the appropriate learning shape and form of interaction and support. For Students who are still hesitant, afraid to communicate, teachers often encourage and create opportunities for them to discover their strengths, thereby confidently expressing themselves in front of the group. Or in case Students have learning difficulties, teachers will set appropriate learning goals and tasks for them to feel confident, encourage the development of their abilities.

Not only as a teacher of knowledge, each teacher always be a close companion of the child. Attention, listening and understanding are the important keys of each UTS teacher to help Grade 1 Students get quickly familiar with the new learning environment. It is not difficult to see the image of teachers always accompanying Students in UTS activities. With warm greetings, questions or simply a look and an affectionate smile, teachers always want to give Students quality time so that they can feel love and cohesion.

There are always difficulties starting, that’s for sure. Every child needs time to get used to a new environment. It may be a week, it can be a month, or there are children who need longer time, but UTS is convinced that with all the attention, love, patience and understanding that teachers have for Students, they will be able to take firm steps on the journey ahead.

To prepare your child well, Parent please access here: https://utschool.edu.vn/hanh-trang-vao-lop-1/