10 Tips for School Success This Fall
In many parts of the country, the 2022-2023 school year is getting ready to start in a few short weeks. And for other parts of the country, it’s going to be here before you know it!
But fear not – we’ve got some tips for how to help your child transition back to school. Our advice will help this fall go smoother. (Phew!)
6 Things Parents Can Do to Prepare for the New School Year
As you begin to get ready for the new school year, we’ve got a few tips for how to help your child transition back to school easier and help this fall go smoother. (Phew!)
1. Talk to your child’s teacher(s) from last year. Emily Levitt, Sylvan's Vice President of Education, says, "If you can still communicate with last year’s teacher(s), ask where your child struggled the MOST last year. Was it specific skills? Was it turning in assignments? Writing paragraphs?" Knowing this information will help you have a better plan for in the fall.
2. Use your findings to assess if your child may need outside support to get ready for the new school year. A few hours of Sylvan tutoring before school begins can help them be ready for what’s coming. Time at Sylvan will help make the back-to-school transition easier. There’s still time to add Sylvan on your schedule!
3. Reflect on last year and think about the next one. If you missed our “Questions to Ask at the End of the School Year” article, it’s not too late to talk about it and frame it up for how to make the next year better. Or you can check out our "Questions for the New School Year" article. We have age-appropriate questions your child can answer. And BONUS: they help with practicing writing skills. Have them share their responses with you over some ice cream!
4. Impose the two-week rule. With later bedtimes over the summer, children need to ease back into their school routine rather than having a sudden change their first day of school. Using the last two weeks of summer to re-introduce a school year bedtime routine will make waking up on that first day a lot easier. (Think, fewer tears and less rushing around in the morning!)
5. Reintroduce regular meal times. During summer months, kids tend to grab a snack several times during the day. Parents can start reminding students to get back into a 3-meal-a-day schedule to regulate their system into the back-to-school mode. Nutrition is an important factor in academic performance, and eating a healthy, balanced breakfast and lunch keeps kids alert throughout the day!
6. Create a family calendar. Time management is tricky for everyone, but especially kids and teens. Planning is an important way to save everyone’s sanity! Having major deadlines, due dates, events, vacations and extracurricular activities mapped out in one place helps kids visualize their week, manage their time and stay on track. Remember to put the calendar somewhere centrally located, so you and your family can easily see it!