End of School Year Reflections Activity
May 26, 2020 | by amanda ryan
While this school year has taken a bit of an unexpected turn with school closures, your kids still had a lot of time to learn before they were learning from home.
As this school year wraps up with its odd ending amidst a global pandemic, what better way to celebrate than to highlight important lessons learned or fun memories from the school year? An end of school year reflection is a fun way to open up the conversation about all the things your child loves about school!
Be sure to document their responses as you go, so you can slide the page (or pages) into their memory book or school memories tote. There are oodles of cute printables to help guide your way, if you’d rather not freehand.
Here are some tips to get the ball rolling:
Talk About Their Favorite Subject and What They Learned in School
Ease into the end of year reflections by having them identify their favorite subject. Follow that up by asking them what their favorite or most memorable lesson with their teacher was about.
For example, maybe they had the opportunity to collect leaves on the playground while learning about seasons. Or, maybe they wrote a most fantastical story that they are especially proud of. It could even be a lesson learned while distance learning.
Once they’ve highlighted their favorite lesson, have them draw a picture of them doing that activity.
Talk About the Most Memorable Moment
School is much more than just the academic component. School is a great way for children to learn vital social skills, make friends, and use their imagination.
Whichever memory they choose, have a conversation about it. Ask them things like…
- “What made this memory so special to you?”
- “What was your favorite part?”
- “What was the weather like on this day?”
- “Would you relive that memory if you could?”
Asking deeper questions will get them thinking critically, which is great for their cognitive development!
Talk About Their Favorite Quarantine Lesson and Something They Want to Learn More About
While schooling from home wasn’t an ideal part of the school year, it is something that is a reality and it should be talked about as you reflect on the school year.
Ask them what their favorite lesson with you was. If they’re having difficulty remembering, remind them of some (hey, we’re all getting a little bit of quarantine brain at this point).
Did they love planting a garden together? Or, maybe they loved learning about how water freezes. Or maybe virtual learning is something they’ve discovered they are great at.
Ask them which activities they would like to do again after you’ve talked a little bit about the lessons you’ve done so far. Make it a priority to repeat those lessons, or just do something similar while mixing it up as we wrap up the school year and make our usual efforts to avoid the summer slump.
Not only does this give kids a little bit of freedom with their education, but education should be fun for kids!
While the end of this school year is a little bit different than many of us had anticipated, that doesn’t mean you can’t make the most out of it. Take a little bit of time and talk with your kiddo about their views on school.
You may be surprised by what you learn!
