A Better Second Half of the School Year Starts Here

Whether the first semester was smooth sailing or presented challenges for your family, the arrival of the new year marks a chance for a fresh start. The second half of the school year often brings extended stretches without breaks, increased testing, and a potential dip in motivation, making learning more challenging. Instead of approaching this period with apprehension, consider implementing the following strategies to set your family up for success:

1. Establish and Maintain Routines

The brain thrives on routine, providing a sense of predictability that can be comforting for children. Consider implementing routines in various aspects of life, such as:

• Prioritize a healthy breakfast to set the tone for a positive school day
• Prepare for the next day the night before to alleviate morning rushes
• Maintain consistency with after-school activities or emphasize the importance of rest, depending on your family’s needs. Click here to listen to an episode of the Brainy Moms Podcast on making decisions through the lens of family values (including when to let your kids quit an activity
• Dedicate distraction-free time for your children to get schoolwork done without competing with TV, friend visits, or other activities.
• Incorporate weekly family activities like game nights or movie nights to foster connection.

These seemingly simple routines can contribute significantly to your children’s well-being and success during this phase of the school year.

2. Set and Celebrate Mini-Goals

As the winter months linger and the excitement of the holidays fades, finding reasons to celebrate becomes crucial. Consider setting family goals, such as:

• Engage in a winter reading challenge, celebrating milestones as a family. (Here are some tips geared towards summer reading, but the same thing applies here!)
• Address specific academic challenges by setting achievable goals aligned with your child’s progress. Saying you want to get all A’s this semester may seem out of reach, so start with something smaller like fewer missing assignments, better homework or test scores, or better self-advocacy in a classroom.
• Break larger objectives into smaller, actionable steps to encourage steady progress.

Focusing on these mini-goals provides a sense of accomplishment and motivation during the seemingly long winter months in the second half of the school year. Make sure you take the time for fun and celebration all along the way!

3. Emphasize Organization and Planning

The start of the new year is an excellent time to refresh organizational habits. Consider:

• Conducting weekly cleanouts to declutter physical and digital spaces. Click here to read more about the strain of weak executive functioning skills on students who need to work primarily online.
• Finding strategies family members will actually stick to, such as implementing color-coded systems tailored to individual family members, using online task management systems, or a planning center calendar in your home.
• Creating a weekly schedule to keep everyone informed about upcoming events. Kids thrive when they know what to expect and what’s coming up, so making a seamless method of communicating these things will be helpful for everyone.

Prioritizing organization in various aspects of life helps build confidence and ensures a smoother second half of the school year.

4. Schedule a Brain Skills Check-Up

If your child faced challenges in the previous semester, it’s essential to address the underlying issues. Consider:

• Assessing cognitive skills to understand potential barriers to learning.
• Identifying deficits in reading, math, problem-solving, or critical thinking.
• Addressing challenges such as distractibility and difficulty engaging in class.

Understanding the root cause of learning struggles through a cognitive skills assessment allows you to create a targeted plan for success.

Don’t delay in seeking answers to ensure a smoother second half of the school year. Contact us today to learn more about how you can support your child in learning, thinking, remembering, reading, and focusing more effectively.