Is Your Child Ready for Secondary School? How to Prepare for the Transition

The move from primary school to secondary school is of immense significance in every school child’s life. A lot of thought, therefore, should be given to secondary schools admission. Fortunately, the  secondary schools in Malaysia  are quite good. The international schools in Malaysia, both high schools and secondary schools are especially well regarded.

The transition to secondary school can be quite challenging to a primary school child and it would be a good idea to help them prepare for it. Here’s how one might do it.

1. Talk to them about it

Transitioning from primary to secondary school is both exciting and anxiety inducing for a  child. It might be a good idea on the part of the parents to have a chat with them.They could be reassured about the fact that any nervousness being faced by them is quite normal and is something that everybody goes through. That is also true about any sadness one might feel about moving away from the familiar.They could also be made aware of the new opportunities awaiting them in the shape of new experiences and the chance to make new friends.

2 .Familiarise the child with the secondary school in question

The child moving to secondary school can go through an induction aimed at making him or her familiar with their new school. The parents can go along with the child and check out the school and in the process get to know the teachers and become familiar with the layout of the school. This will ensure that the child in question does not feel out of sorts when he starts going to that school.

3. Help them become independent and organised

Secondary school than primary school. Parents would do well to advise their children to work on being more independent and organised in order to get settled in the new environment with relative ease is more demanding . You could help them get there by giving them tasks you think they would be able to accomplish and make them responsible for doing so. One of the things they could begin with is being responsible for preparing their school bag,  laying out their school uniform and polishing the shoes to be worn the next day.

4. Give them full support

The transition from primary school to secondary school is akin to transitioning from childhood to adulthood and as such is a very unsettling time for a child. It makes sense for parents to let their children know that they have the latter’s back and are there to support them and counsel them, if required. Having parental support means the world to a child trying to make sense of a new world which is both fascinating and intimidating.

5. Help them discover their passion

Secondary school is the time when a young person discovers what he or she has an aptitude for. They should be encouraged to find their passion and learn to cultivate it to the fullest. Both teachers and parents have to play an encouraging and enabling role in this. The International schools in Malaysia are well equipped to help its secondary school students discover and pursue their passions in the best possible manner.

Conclusion

Transitioning  to secondary school from primary school may not appear to be anything extraordinary from an adult’s point of view, but for a child undergoing the process,it is a very big deal indeed. It is a rite of passage that they undergo at a very young age and it is a very good idea for their parents and teachers to extend all possible support to them while they attempt to adjust to their new academic life.

These are the years in which they find themselves and take the first tentative steps towards discovering their true passions which last them a lifetime. They also start to get an idea of the areas they might specialise in with regard to higher studies and the choice of career.

The tips given in this article can help make this transition as smooth as possible. Parents of children in this situation would do well to use them to smoothen their children’s journey. At the same time, well meaning schools like many international schools in Malaysia provide their students with all the help they need to transition painlessly from primary school to secondary school.

It is a tribute to the far sightedness of such schools that they take the matter of transition from primary to secondary school with the seriousness it deserves.That is the reason why these schools are so highly sought after by both the locals and the expats.These schools are known to empower their students, and enabling the smooth transitioning from primary to secondary school is an important part of that process. By doing so they ensure that the students go on to perform optimally in senior school.