Do These 4 Things ASAP to Get Your Child Ready to Head Back to School
As summer wraps up and you start really thinking about your kids going back to school, it can be overwhelming to consider all the ways they need to be prepared for a new school year. While there are a lot of things you can do to set them up for a strong start, here are 4 tips to implement ASAP to make sure their brain is ready and primed for learning.
#1: Start Building Routines
You don’t have to fill every moment of every day with structured activities, but getting your family’s sleeping and eating habits onto a consistent routine can go a long way towards making the first few days and weeks of school go more smoothly. Consider…
- Implementing consistent bedtimes and wake up times that gradually move your child towards the schedule they’ll need to follow on school days
- Starting to practice getting materials ready the night before (prepping lunches, backpacks, etc.)
- Having consistent meal and snack times. In most classrooms, kids need to eat at specified times, so get them used to a similar routine at home so their brain can adjust to any differences.
Read for more: 8 Great Foods for Your Brain >>
#2: Back to school shopping
You may read this and think, “Of course back to school shopping is on the list of things to do—that’s nothing new or special.” But we’d challenge you to consider this back-to-school shopping time as filling your child’s toolbox with the things they’ll need to be successful this school year. Especially for tweens and teens in middle or high school, involve them in choices that will help them stay organized—and be excited about the system they’re creating.
Back to school shopping is more than just getting pencils and notebooks. It’s about making sure your child has buy-in for the strategies your family will use this school year to stay organized and equipped for whatever’s coming.
Read for more: Organization Strategies to Empower & Equip Teens for the School Year >>
#3: Start Building Sustained Mental Effort
This is one of the key differences between summer routines and the back to school season. If your child has gotten out of the habit of using their brain for sustained amounts of time, the new school year is going to be much more challenging and overwhelming.
In the last weeks of summer, you don’t want to just pile on busywork. But gradually increasing the amount of time they’re sitting down to read, do some math practice, write in a journal, or even do puzzles or play games will help get them ready for the new year.
Looking for some game ideas?
- Build Math Confidence with These Fun Math Games
- Games that Build Attention Skills
- 9 Games to Improve Working Memory
- 5 Family Game Night Favorites to Improve Reading Skills
#4: Have a Back-to-School Crisis Plan
You hope for the best at every transition—but what’s going to happen if the new school year doesn’t start off quite as smoothly as you’d hoped? The back-to-school season is hard on everyone, but if your child is:
- Constantly stressed out, dreading school, and dealing with low motivation…
- Behind in math, reading, or other critical skills that are relevant in every subject…
- Struggling to focus, remember, or organize their thoughts or spaces…
… then it’s time to pursue some extra support. Acting early can save you months (or years) of struggle when you address these issues from the root cause.
Just like you wouldn’t try to run a marathon with a broken leg, kids need to remediate learning struggles in order to have confidence and success in academic spaces. Weak cognitive skills are behind almost all learning struggles that students face on a daily basis. And the good news is that these skills can be strengthened!
Act now before the school year gets away from you. Contact us today to schedule a cognitive skills assessment so you can identify where any weak points might be and how you can set your child up for greater success!
