With Back to School in full swing, families are now re-adjusting to daily routines. The start of the academic year can be overwhelming for both students and parents after the entire summer off.
Our team of tutors has rounded up these 10 tips to help your family thrive throughout the year!
- Set up a monthly calendar: Every month carve out time to sit down as a family to plan out schedules. Mark down all extracurricular activities and special events in a monthly calendar, and remember to schedule in homework time too.
- Encourage the use of an agenda: Help your child develop good organizational habits by using a traditional agenda or digital tool to record homework assignments and important dates (i.e. projects, tests, exams).
- Monitor homework frustrations: It’s normal for students to feel some frustration over their homework. Check in with them early in the evening to avoid late-night surprises. If your child regularly struggles with assignments, encourage them to talk about it with the classroom teacher.
- Schedule time to relax: Kids need time for a break before starting homework after a long day of learning. Make sure to incorporate regular downtime and snacks into daily schedules.
- Have an electronics policy: Consider setting up a docking station in a central area in your home. Ask your kids to keep all electronics out of sight during homework time to avoid distractions and to leave them docked at bedtime so they can have a proper rest.
- Organize a homework area: A dedicated area with good lighting is helpful to store homework and for students to ultimately sit down to tackle work. Keep it stocked with papers, pencils, sharpeners, erasers and any other supplies needed.
- Create a place for school notes: The academic year is loaded with notes, reminders, and forms to fill out. Select a space to house them all. One idea is beside the electronic docking station.
- Manage the keepsakes: Soon your children’s work will be coming home for you to keep. Planning how you will keep track of these mementos will help you stay organized and reduce clutter. Decide if you will use a file folder, take photos or scan the work for a digital keepsake.
- Prepare gear before bedtime: Build knapsack organization into your child’s routine before bedtime. Ask them to fill their bag with an agenda, notes, homework and any other gear needed for the next day. Leave it by the front door unzipped, so it’s ready for the lunch bag to be added in before you all walk out the door.
- Ask for help: Draw on the expertise of others to help your child reach their academic goals when needed. This can be in the form of peer tutors, friends, homework clubs, family members, teachers and professional tutors.
We wish your family a successful school year. Which one of these tips will you put into action first?
