Optimise Your Child's Best Learning Time

I have yet to meet anyone who is sunshine and flowers 24 hours of the day, there are early risers and night owls in the world! This is also the case for children and teenagers.

There are some commitments we cannot change - the school day sticks out in my mind!

9-3 pm is hard for students who are night owls as they have been up late and struggle to get ready and be an active learner at 8 am.  

For early risers, there is a missed opportunity of maximising learning during the time of the day where they are most alert.  

Unfortunately, the school day is not negotiable.

However, for children and teenagers with learning difficulties and disabilities, there is extra learning that is packed into the day.  These are the pieces of time you can control (to an extent).  Maximise the learning outcomes you are spending time and money on for your child.

If your child is an early riser look to capitalise on that in the early hours of the morning.  Allocate time in the morning for homework rather than the afternoon when everyone is tired.  Try to book your external support in with professionals who are also early risers - I see some of my students at 7:45 am.

If your child is a night owl look for ways to simplify the morning routine so that they can stay in bed for as long as they can and the trip to school is as simple as possible.  It's worth a bit of preparation in terms of laying school clothes out at night, packing lunches at night, showering at night and looking for nutritious breakfasts that can be eaten on the go. Afternoon naps are good for night owls so they can fuel up for the evening of homework and additional support.  Speak to the professionals working with your child and ask for their later sessions, my latest students from 7-8 pm and this works for them.

Sometimes it is so hard to fit everything in with a busy family and then trying to negotiate your needs with the various professionals who support your child. However, when you can find the sweet spot and marry their optimal learning time with the time, they are receiving good quality remedial instruction, you will be glad you fought for it.