Preparing for a new school year generally brings to mind visions of new clothes, school supplies, and a change in schedule. These are all important but not the only changes that need to happen. Parents can help children prepare for a new school year in a variety of ways. Many schools have websites that list the state curriculum and some even list the manner in which the school breaks down that curriculum by grade level.
Parents who are aware of what their children will be studying can help preview and prepare their children for new challenges or realize that outside challenges will be required to keep children engaged and interested in learning. Awareness is power in education. There are many resources for finding materials to assist children in reviewing old material and learning new.
Prepare for the New Learning Challenges of Each Grade Level
Each grade level provides new levels of challenges for learners. More independence is required and the learning itself becomes more challenging. Some children take to this increased responsibility naturally. The learning challenges are met easily. Other students requires assistance in developing strategies to handle the responsibility and methods to learn the new material. Direct teaching of strategies is something parents can do to help.
Parents can teach and reinforce organizational skills, scheduling, planning, and study skills that are necessary for students to be successful at all grade levels. Establishing and encouraging independence will translate into independent learners at school. Those who are dependent at home can struggle to be independent at school, too. Modeling and reinforcing age appropriate habits as the child ages will reap benefits at school.
Provide a Learning Environment
Children do not require a separate study room but they do need a consistent place that can be cleared easily for them to work on school homework and related projects. Consistency is a key to establishing habits. When children have an established homework routine it is finished more efficiently and accurately.
Having a box for each child that has homework supplies in it that is easily accessed and stored when finished can make starting and finishing tasks simpler. There are fewer excuses when organization is enforced. A shelf or table can work but the ability to move the box may work more efficiently for parents who use a kitchen or dining room table for a homework area.
Homework Supplies to Have for Students
A homework box should have basics like pencils, glue sticks, colored pencils, glue sticks, and markers. Sales are a good time to replace and add to the supply. Parents should make keeping the supply organized and put away one of the child’s chores. Responsibility is an important part of establishing this habit.
As children age they will require additional resources. These will include a dictionary, writing resource, science reference, and a math reference. As time continues teachers may request additional items be added or students may find resources that are useful. Items should be stored with the homework supplies to limit the time spent searching for them. These resources can be great Christmas and birthday presents for relatives who like to add educational gifts to their present lists. Parents also have vast second hand markets to access when seeking to purchase these items.
Seek out Internet Resources
Parents should seek out child friendly Internet resources when they discover the curriculum being studied for the year. This may happen before the school year or at curriculum presentations. Some parents are already aware of areas of weakness their child struggles with in school. Children have a variety of learning styles that are not always addressed in the school environment. Finding sites that support a child’s learning style can increase sucess and provide a child with a confidence in finding an alternate strategy to master a subject that has been a challenge.
For parents of gifted learners, this can be a chance to provide alternate learning opportunities for children who are not always challenged in the school environment. There are many sites that allow children to progress at an individual pace. This is especially important for children who can be gifted in one area and not in another. The individual pace allows a child to move forward even in the more challenging areas when mastery has been obtained. It also can provide for creative learning opportunities and independent learning projects.
Parents can assist students in starting the school year by providing them with appropriate tools and teaching them to use them.
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