Important Questions to Ask Your Kids Before School Starts

Whether last school year was full of triumph or tears (or a mixture of both), now is the time to have some conversations with your kids before school starts. Your child is about to embark on a new set of challenges, but what can you be doing to minimize the stress that’s coming with a new school year?

Taking time to sit down with your child to talk through their answers to these questions—as well as sharing your own—can lay the groundwork for a more successful school year.

Here are 3 Questions to Ask Before School Starts:

1. Do I want this year to look and feel the same as last year?

Maybe some things about last year were great. Maybe your child found a good friend group, thrived in sports, and stayed engaged in a hard subject. These are things to celebrate and note that you want to try to repeat them!

But what things do you want to be different?

•  Do you wish your child would work more independently? 
• Are you going to try to minimize those teacher messages saying that they’re distracted, disruptive, or unengaged? 
• Does your child want to FINALLY feel successful at reading, math, or another subject that has always been a sticking point?

Once you have this list of changes, ask yourself: what would it take to make these changes a reality?

If you’re not sure where to start, assessing your child’s cognitive skills may be an option you haven’t considered. The reality is that cognitive skills impact every area of life—not just academics.

If your and your child’s goals include improving motivation, relationships, behavior, as well as academic performance, understanding where they are cognitively now at the start of the year can make a huge difference.

Learn more about testing cognitive skills here.

2. What new “big things” are coming at my child this year, and is he or she ready?

Each school year has its own set of challenges and new things, but there are some hallmark changes that can be a shock if you’re not prepared. 

For example, in 3rd and 4th grade students are really hit hard with reading independently (and needing to comprehend what they’re reading), as well as more complex math topics like fractions, multiplication, and division. 

In middle and high school, every year is new and progressively harder, and they require your child to be more organized, to study independently, and to become self-motivated learners. 

If your child struggles in these areas and you go in blindly, it’s a recipe for more stress and tears.

If you want your child to feel confident and successful in the year ahead, do some research to find out what’s coming up—and how you can help your child be ready!

3. What labels from this past year can be shed, and how will we do that?

As we go through life, we naturally acquire a variety of labels. Slow. Strong student. Disruptive. Lazy. Exceptional. Above/below average. 

While we can’t avoid these labels completely, we CAN get back to the learner beneath the labels to help your child achieve his or her best. This is what LearningRx is passionate about.

Your child’s brain is incredible, whether they’re performing well in school or not. We are here to help unlock your child’s greatest potential to learn more easily and thrive academically as well as in other areas of life. 

More kids are labeled with a learning disability or difference every year. Some estimates say that over 15% of kids currently have a diagnosed learning disability (which is up from 10% less than 10 years ago).

While most kids won’t outgrow or completely lose this label, supporting them as an individual—not a case number—is critical for their confidence and success!

Managing Expectations Before School Starts

Does your child know what you expect of them in the school year? Using these 3 questions as a springboard, you can begin a deeper conversation about the things that you want to see from them. It’s also a great opportunity to hear what they expect of themselves!

Create an environment in your home that values effort over results. This type of learning environment gives your child room to struggle without fearing your disappointment. Many kids enter the school year with high stress and pressure perceived from their parents. If you are open and honest about what you expect, what they feel is doable, and how you can make up the difference together, you will be set up for an easier back-to-school season!

If you want your child to have a fresh start, priming their brain with brain training for easier focus, memory, reading, and learning may be the answer.

Give us a call today to learn how we get to the root of learning struggles to help your child learn more easily!