«Full, relaxed and not too tired - that's the best way to learn»

"As a family, we first had to get used to the new situation when Elena started school almost two years ago. She was looking forward to it, especially the homework. But that was over quite quickly. It wasn't easy for her to focus on the tasks, which was extremely frustrating for her.

We tried a balancing act: motivating Elena and keeping her on track, but at the same time not interfering too much in the tasks and helping her. After a meeting with her parents, it was clear that Elena was struggling with concentration in particular. We then thought about how we could help her and set a few rules so that she could do her homework in peace. These included, for example, that no one was allowed to talk when Elena was sitting at the dining table in the kitchen practising writing or maths. This was a challenge, especially for her brother Henry, who was two years younger, and her father, who was on the phone. But it helped Elena. Then she made a leap in her development and suddenly everything went much better. Perhaps she first had to really settle in at school.

Now, in the second grade, the amount of homework has increased and we accompany Elena as closely as we can when both parents are at work. There is now more homework, which is longer term. This gives her a certain amount of freedom to organise it, but also requires a certain degree of independence, which is something we are all still learning. Elena has already realised that she prefers to finish everything early so that it doesn't pile up over the course of the week and put her under pressure.

In addition to homework, we sometimes practise with Elena. Reading, for example. Last year she probably had a few growth spurts and was often tired, so reading was just exhausting and she didn't feel like it. So I picked an exciting book and made a deal with her: Elena could «buy» a new chapter by reading something on her own beforehand. If learning tests are announced, we also practise at home beforehand. Elena is currently enjoying maths in particular, as she has a quicker sense of achievement than with reading or writing. It motivates her when the maths training is timed and the points are entered afterwards. She is better after every practice session. We are currently learning that you also have to make an effort to do well. We also make sure that the physical conditions are right: full, relaxed and not too tired - that's the best way to learn."