Adapted from the article "Unta ja ulkoilua, liikuntaa ja lukemista", originally published in Finnish.
In Finland, most primary schools got back to work last week. According to the Finnish National Agency for Education, over 51,000 first graders will start school this year. In the coming weeks, students across Europe will be returning from their holidays to kick off the new academic year. Sanoma's learning materials and solutions help teachers by providing tools and content for teaching, but to truly support learning and success, children also need encouragement from home.
Birgit Pekkala, an editor for Sanoma Pro’s Finnish language and literature materials, knows from her experience as a former teacher how to help children get excited about school.
“Show interest in your child’s school life and keep a positive attitude. Ask regularly about their school day and really listen to their answers. When adults show they care about school matters, kids start to see them as important too. Keep an eye on homework, encourage them, praise their efforts, and thank them for trying. Help your child understand that learning is valuable and can be fun, even if it takes effort and sometimes feels challenging.”
According to Pekkala, routines play a key role in supporting learning, especially sleep, outdoor time, and physical activity.
“As school starts, it’s time to shift from holiday mode to a regular daily rhythm and make sure kids get enough sleep. Primary school children need at least 9–11 hours of sleep each night to stay focused and able to learn during the day. Sleep helps transfer what they’ve learned into long-term memory, so it’s a vital part of the learning process. And every day should include enough movement, preferably outdoors. Exercise supports both learning and a healthy sleep routine.”
As a learning expert, Pekkala also highlights the importance of reading and the example set at home.
“I recommend that every pupil reads or practices reading for at least 10–15 minutes a day. You could even have a shared reading time where everyone reads their own book at the same time: seeing adults read matters too. And even if your child can already read fluently, don’t stop reading bedtime stories. That evening reading time can be spent taking turns reading the same book or even listening to an audiobook together. It’s also a great moment to chat about how your child is doing and how school is going.”
Pekkala reminds us that reading skills are something that continue to grow and develop throughout life.
“Strong reading skills and a growing vocabulary are the foundation of learning, because they support success in every school subject.”