A day or two before school starts, ask your child to choose something familiar to try again. They might read a page from a book they enjoyed or work through a maths problem they solved before the break. Sit nearby while they get started. If the first step feels unfamiliar, find the last worked example together and let your child decide where to pick up.
When school resumes, link the first study session to something that already happens, such as getting home and having a snack. Keep the task small enough to finish in one sitting. Your child might explain one idea from class and write down a question for tomorrow. If the afternoon fills up, choose another day together so they know when they’ll come back to it.
At the end of the first week, look at one piece of work together. Ask what feels familiar again and where your child still needs help. If they can read a passage but struggle to retell it, agree on one thing to practise the following week, such as retelling the main event. Share a specific example with their teacher or tutor if the same difficulty comes up repeatedly.
