The issue of quality education goes far beyond the choice of school or teaching method. It involves daily decisions about screen time, the type of learning that is valued, and how a child develops their autonomy. Official recommendations are evolving rapidly, particularly in France, where the regulatory framework regarding screens has tightened since 2024.
The following five tips are based on recent data and concrete levers, far from the generic lists on kindness that are found everywhere. Each targets a specific aspect of child development, with its known limitations.
1. Apply official screen time thresholds by age group
Since January 2025, the mention no screens before age 3, including background noise appears in the health booklet given at every birth in France. This is no longer just a parental recommendation: since July 2025, this rule has become a regulatory obligation in daycare centers.
The expert report submitted in April 2024, titled “Children and Screens: In Search of Lost Time,” goes further. It recommends no personal mobile phone before age 11 and no smartphone connected to the Internet before age 13. Access to social media is postponed until later in adolescence.
These thresholds reflect a documented concern about the impact of screens: disruption of sleep, language delays, decreased attention, and impoverished social interactions. For those who want to learn more about Club des Parents, the topic is addressed from the perspective of concrete family practices.
Applying these thresholds does not mean banning all technology. It is about distinguishing between passive use (looped videos) and guided use (educational apps used with an adult). Field feedback varies on this point: some early childhood professionals see benefits from very structured use, while others prefer total exclusion before age 6.
2. Structure shared reading times from the first year
Shared reading remains the most documented lever for language development and concentration in young children. The mechanism is simple: an adult reads, points, asks questions, and the child associates sounds, images, and narration.
What distinguishes effective shared reading from mechanical reading lies in the interaction. Asking open-ended questions about the image, allowing the child to turn the pages, revisiting a passage they point to: these micro-actions build vocabulary and attention capacity well before school entry.
However, the available data does not allow for conclusions about an ideal daily duration. Regularity matters more than duration. A ten-minute ritual every evening produces measurable effects on language development, whereas a long occasional session does not establish the same habits.
3. Encourage learning through mistakes rather than results
Valuing effort over grades or final results changes how a child approaches difficulties. This principle, derived from research on growth mindset, is based on a precise idea: a child who understands that mistakes are part of the process perseveres more.
In practice, this involves the language used daily. A few guidelines:
- Describe the observed process rather than the result (“You tried three different methods to solve this problem”) instead of the classic “Well done, that’s good”
- Reframe failures as steps (“This solution didn’t work, what could you try now?”) rather than minimizing (“It’s not a big deal”)
- Share your own adult mistakes to normalize trial and error, even in the school context
This approach requires an adjustment in parental posture. It does not eliminate structure or expectations, but it shifts the focus from performance to progress.
4. Establish a regular handwriting framework outside of school context
Handwriting engages brain areas that typing does not stimulate in the same way. In an age where digital media dominate a child’s environment, maintaining a regular practice of handwriting strengthens memorization and concentration.
The school context is not always sufficient. The time dedicated to writing in class tends to decrease, and the graphic quality of students is a recurring concern among French teachers.
Establishing a writing ritual at home can take various forms: a journal, letters to a loved one, copying a poem chosen by the child. The goal is not perfect calligraphy but the regularity of the act. A child who writes a few lines each day develops a fluency that transfers to writing, spelling, and structuring ideas.
5. Limit extracurricular activities to preserve free play
The temptation to fill every slot with a structured activity (sports, music, language classes) is strong. However, free play serves a role that structured activities do not fulfill: development of creativity, autonomous conflict management, and emotional regulation.
A child with unstructured time learns to occupy themselves, negotiate with peers, and invent rules. These skills are directly linked to autonomy and social development.
Key points to keep in mind:
- Two extracurricular activities per week are sufficient for most age groups before middle school
- Free play does not mean absence of supervision, but absence of a program imposed by an adult
- Occasional boredom is not a problem to solve: it often triggers initiative and imagination
Conversely, a schedule saturated with activities can generate stress and reduce sleep quality, two factors that directly affect academic learning.
These five levers share a common point: they require less financial investment than consistency. The regularity of a reading ritual, the coherence of a framework on screens, or simply allowing empty time in the week produce effects that more costly measures do not guarantee.
