Burn or Learn? How to keep the love of learning burning through the holidays
30 November 2023
Children get exhausted too! The holiday break away from homework, study and exam workload helps academic performance – but holiday programs invigorate your child and helps keep the love of learning burning.
As the end of the school year grinds in, it’s easy for children to start losing their focus in the classroom. Younger children can struggle with 40 weeks of schoolwork and homework commitment, while older ones handle high-pressure exams like the ATAR and the HSC.
Primary school children handle a lot of different pressures from academics, after school commitments, socialising with friends and different routines everywhere they go. That is a lot of learning.
However, not every child will be exhausted by this. What exhausts one child will not necessarily exhaust another. However, if we don’t recognise our learners’ exhaustion, it will become academic burnout.
Research tells us that academic burnout is more likely to occur for university students and high school students, with a big emphasis on the often overwhelmed Year 11 and Year 12 cohorts.
But even though our little ones aren’t exactly heads-down for hours cramming complex chemistry and maths, they can still feel the drain after a long year at school. Their workload is less obvious, but it still has an impact and must be addressed.
Can Young Children Experience Burnout?
Just like working adults, our young children can also experience urgent pressure to perform. They are tasked with absorbing new information and perfecting new skills almost constantly.
Their confidence can take a real hit when the amount of effort they put into new learning doesn’t always result in perfect results.
That hit to their confidence can undermine their desire to learn, making it hard for them to retain new content or skills, leading to a vicious cycle of burnout. It is essential to recognise either exhaustion or burnout in our children.
Signs of Burnout in Young Children
To help students overcome burnout, you have to know how to spot it. Keep an eye out for:
- Exhaustion – difficulty getting moving on school days or don’t want to go at all, a reluctance to answer questions about school, overall lack of energy.
- Poor mood – irritability, quick to anger or cry, lashing out at siblings, peers or parents.
- A sense of failure or defeat – lack of confidence, a belief nothing they do matters and that they always fail, that everything around them is bad
- Physical signs of stress – headaches, nausea, or tummy aches
It’s important to acknowledge and validate the exhaustion our kids experience in their school life. Students who don’t feel supported have poor outcomes overall, whether that’s academically, socially or emotionally.
By listening to our children’s worries and fears, we can alleviate a lot of that exhaustion before it gets on top of them. We can give them the room to start rebuilding their confidence.
Beating Burnout on the Holidays…
Once you spot the burnout, it’s time to give our youngest learners time to recharge. The easiest way is just to give them some time to unwind. We wouldn’t expect an adult to work 52 weeks a year without a break, and our students are no different.
Rebuilding their confidence over the holidays starts by prioritising their well-being and giving them the space they need to unwind.
Start small. Put down the screens and connect. Spend time together as a family, make space for hobbies and just spend time with friends in a low-pressure environment.
Non-competitive physical activity is fantastic, too – whether it’s running around at a park or playground, splashing around in a pool or exploring the wonders of out local nature.
Taking competitive elements out of the equation leads to greater enjoyment and less pressure to perform.
Each is a great way to destress, unwind, and reconnect with themselves and learning.
What is the Difference Between School Learning and Holiday Learning Without the Burnout?
As you know, we don’t stop learning just because school has stopped. We continue to learn each and every day. The learning is just different.
That is what we do at Seeds of Knowledge in our holiday programs. We offer learning in a different way. This ensures we avoid burnout. In fact, the brain can become invigorated by learning something in a new way. Just as our body needs to relax, our brain also needs to relax and recharge.
So, how do we give children a chance to recharge without taking a hit on their academic performance?
How to Continue Learning in the Holidays?
Learning is a skill. It requires focus, creativity and, above all, confidence. These skills need explicit teaching and lots of practice as they take time to master.
Children want to learn, and in our experience at Seeds of Knowledge, the holidays are the perfect opportunity for that, allowing children time to prioritise their own learning.
The Seeds of Knowledge Approach: Confidence is Key
It’s time to keep learning moving forward through a productive and invigorating learning environment.
A recent study from the University of Granada found that ongoing supportive tutors are an effective way to protect the well-being of our learners.
At Seeds of Knowledge, our holiday programs are different from our normal learning routine. We understand that the children are more relaxed and have less stress and more mental capacity. This allows us to purposefully embed:
- growth mindset language
- learning confidence concepts
- a deeper connection to learning
- more hands-on and outside learning
This time of the year, we see our children look totally exhausted and on the verge of burnout, but as we know, after a few days of rest, their energy is well and truly revitalised, and the next words we hear are “I am bored”, “What can we do?”
Before the boredom sets in, make sure you are one step ahead and book into the Seeds of Knowledge holiday programs.
Building Confidence is the Key to Learning
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Supercharging Struggling Learners
Key signs your child might be struggling with their learning:
- frustration
- lack of focus
- low energy or a lack of effort
- negative body language
Learning is challenging and hard. It is important for you and your child to recognise that as part of the learning process, accept it and push through it. This free guide will help you navigate these challenges and supercharge your struggling learner.
Don’t wait any longer. Download it today.
Tutoring and tutors for primary school children in English and Maths.
Fairfield
Christian Family Teaching Rooms
51 Cross Street, Fairfield Q 4103
Access the teaching rooms at the rear of the carpark off Sunbeam Street
Carina
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202 Gallipoli Road Q Carina Heights