How to Make a Better Transition to School

The school year is going to be upon us before we know it. Instead of dreading this start, you can start planning now to make it a smoother transition to school for your whole family!

Whether your child loves school and thrives in that environment or they drag their feet through every single day, here are some things you can do to make this summer→school transition easier:

Tips for a Better School Transition

#1: Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute

Waiting until the day before—or even the day school starts—is going to make it a harsher reality check than this transition to school needs to be. Spend the last couple weeks of summer gradually working to an earlier wakeup time and bedtime, building more consistency through your days.

When you give your child more space to get used to the new schedule that is coming, their brain and body will be more ready to handle it when the “real thing” happens.

#2: Practice a “Normal” Morning Routine

This is especially good for younger kids! Give them an idea of what school days will be like. Get them up early, feed them breakfast, and practice getting dressed and assembling all needed school supplies. This will give them (and you) an idea of how long it’ll take to get out of the door every day so there’s less stress when the time comes!

#3: Start Doing “School” Activities, Especially with Younger Kids

If you haven’t been doing much “academic” work over the summer, that’s ok! It’s important for kids to be kids and to enjoy their time off of school. But if you want them to be ready for the reality check that is coming, working in a few simple school-like activities over the last few weeks of summer can help get their brains more ready for learning.

Check out this list of screen-free activities to activate your child’s brain!

#4: Don’t Rush Summer

As we’ve already mentioned, let your kids be kids. While preparation is important and it’s critical to give them a taste of what’s coming this year with school, don’t make it so structured that they dread school before it even starts.

You know your child best. If they need warning and time to adjust to new things, spend a little bit longer practicing school wake-ups and new routines. If they are more chill and go-with-the-flow, these “practice” routine changes may stress them out more than the real thing.

Enjoy these last couple weeks as a family to connect and invest in your relationship heading into the new school year—because that is even more important than any academic prep-work you could be doing!

#5: Be Honest About Goals and Expectations

Does your child know what you expect of them this school year? Do they themselves have any goals they want to set? These are basic questions, but they’re good ones to ask before the stress of the school year really starts.

When your child knows what you expect of them, they will be less likely to put undue pressure on themselves. Alternatively, when you need to course-correct it won’t come as a shock because the expectation will have already been laid out.

We recommend writing these goals and expectations down so that you can refer back to them often during the school year when things feel hard! 

#6: Prioritize Sleep & Healthy Foods

We can’t say enough about the power of quality sleep and healthy foods when it comes to your child’s brain health and ability to learn. As you make the transition to school, set your child up for success by:

• Offering plenty of protein, healthy fats, fruits, and veggies throughout the day
• Starting their day off with breakfast (kids who eat breakfast think faster and more accurately, and have better focus, comprehension, memory, and learning, according to research)
• Creating healthy sleep patterns with earlier bedtimes on school nights
• Optimizing their sleep quality by putting away screens in the evenings and teaching them good sleep hygiene habits

#7: Have a Plan in Place for if They Struggle

The reality is that many kids are struggling. The pandemic, changing standards, and extra stress have taken their toll on the classroom in many different ways. Estimates show that ⅓ of students need remedial reading interventions, and more kids than ever are falling behind in their coursework.

You don’t want to go into the school year with a mindset of expecting your kids to fail and struggle. But do you have a plan in case they do?

Tutors are a valuable option in some situations. But the reality is that they don’t address the root cause of learning struggles.

If you get into the school your and your child:

• Feels like they’re behind and are stressed out
• Struggles with math or reading
• Is always the last one to finish assignments or has anxiety around tests
• Is still struggling despite the help of classroom resources

… brain training may be the best option to help your child succeed. Investing in their ability to learn in the first place will pay off for years down the road as your child is more confidently able to grasp new concepts, self-advocate, and experience greater levels of success.

Clients who have completed a brain training program report improved confidence and school performance pretty much across the board. Plus, our results show a gain in 3.5+ years on average on every cognitive skill tested.*

If you get into the school year and start wondering if THIS is how it’s going to be for the rest of the year, don’t wait.

Get your child the help they need to succeed from the get-go! Contact us today to learn more.

*These are the results of past clients. You or your child may or may not experience the same outcomes. We’d love to talk with you about your goals and share what our approach would be to help!