School Adjustment Process

The new school year expresses a different excitement for everyone involved in the education process. It is a fresh start time for students returning to school after a long vacation, teachers preparing their work for the new academic year with sweet enthusiasm, and of course, parents who closely accompany their children in all these processes.

For students who have just started primary school, this journey is full of many unknowns. In the school environment where the child will spend most of the day, there are points that he will adapt to such as a new teacher, friends, physical environment and daily flow order. During this whole process, it is normal for the child to experience some difficulties and need support. For students who start primary school and transition to grades, the points that they do not know may cause anxiety and the child may need support at school and at home on these issues that include the adaptation process. The process of adaptation to school is facilitated by the involvement of parents, who are among the most important supporters of the child.

One of the first steps the family can take at this point may be to chat with the child about how their day went. Especially in the younger age group or children whose verbal sharing is thought to be limited, questions that will continue the conversation should be chosen instead of questions that require short answers such as "yes/no". It can be asked what subject they learned by giving a specific course name, and how they spent time by pointing out a certain part of the day.

Observing the child's approach to situations such as the sleep pattern required by school life, homework and preparations for the next day helps to determine the child's needs. Conversations containing the information that the child may need to have information about the school can be made and their questions can be answered. At this point, it is important that the information to be given is compatible with the truth. Giving a child good-sounding but inaccurate information leads to misdirection of expectations. This situation causes disappointment in the child's thoughts about school life.

Hours after school are the time for the child to rest and take time for himself. The child, who acts according to the school order all day, needs to spend time with activities suitable for his age after school. After-school plan; The rest period should be considered as a whole, including the activities that can be done, the course hours, if any, and the time to be allocated to study. Planning after school also supports the habit of being planned in the child.

Just like washing hands before meals and preparing before sleep, homework and homework should be started with preliminary preparation. This preliminary preparation motivates the child to start and continue working. Checking the notebook in which he notes his homework and work is one of these steps. If the child plans the subjects and time he/she wants to study, family support is important in making and implementing this planning.

Preparations such as keeping the working environment organized in a way that will not distract him, taking care that the environment is not too hot or cold, and preparation of the relevant tools can be included. Study time should be planned according to the amount of homework, including rest breaks.

All children come face to face with the reality of adaptation to school, starting from the pre-school period and transitioning to a new level of education throughout their education life. Possible adaptation problems and difficulties in developing a sense of belonging that children may experience while transitioning to a higher education level may prevent them from effectively benefiting from the benefits of education given at school. For this reason, the transition to a new level can cause an anxious process for families as well as for children.

During this period, it is important for the child and family to get used to new routines. The high level of readiness of both the child and the family facilitates adaptation.

A child who is not alienated at the level of education he/she transitions to, adapts easily to the new environment, develops good relations with his peers and fulfills the responsibilities assigned to him is defined as a “ready child”.

The most important factor that will support and develop the ready child's characteristics is;

· Having knowledge about the developmental characteristics of children,

· Aware of the importance of educational institutions for children's social cohesion and academic success, · Offering a rich stimulating environment to support children's development areas,

· Providing democratic environments where the child's self-confidence will increase and develop a sense of autonomy,

· It is the “ready family” that ensures the child's development in all aspects.

The family, which understands the concerns of their children in their transition to the new educational level, tries to find solutions for them, supports their child in this process and cooperates with the school, makes a significant contribution to the adaptation process of the child. It is important that families talk to their children about school, provide information about their changing routines, and try to develop their social skills and basic sense of responsibility. For example; It should be explained to the child that secondary school is different from primary school, and it should be shared with the child that each teacher will have different expectations due to the changing number of lessons and the fact that different teachers will attend the classes. In this context, the child's adaptation to school; the school supports the ready child and the ready family and takes place in a process passed in cooperation. To ensure a successful transition, it is important that these three mutually supportive dimensions work together.

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