03 Oct
2018
New School Year Tips
The air is getting cooler and we are losing more and more daylight each day. Apples are becoming
more plentiful and doctor’s offices are ready to give everyone the flu shot. The season that we talking
about is autumn. Even though autumn is a transitional phase physically, it can be an emotional phase
for children going to school. Children all over the country have had a summer vacation and going back
to school can be tough; especially when the mornings are becoming darker. Here are three tips that can
help parents and children with the school transitional phase.
Tip #1 (Nutrition)
School can be very challenging for any child, but when they can’t get enough nutrients they cannot
function or do well in school. Here is some information regarding good nutrition. All children need a
good breakfast. The best breakfast would be a grain, protein, fruit, and juice. An example would be
toast or bagel, a scrambled egg, half of a banana, and orange juice or milk. Eating a good lunch is also a
good way to keep the brain active and ready to learn. An example of a good lunch is a sandwich,
vegetables, fruit cup, and fruit juice or milk. When a child comes home from school, eating a good snack
can help them while they study for tests and do homework. A good snack idea is by having yogurt,
cheese stick, or a smoothie. Nutrition is key to a successful school year. (http://www.ldonline.org)
Tip #2 (Sleep)
Sleep plays a vital role in the child’s performance in school. When the child has good sleep, they can
focus on the tasks that they need to do and test scores are much higher. Statistics show that students
who get plenty of sleep the night before a big test like SAT’s function better and gain higher scores than
those who don’t get enough sleep. The way to help your child get enough sleep per night is to set goals
about going to bed and once they reach their goals; they get a reward. An example of a sleep goal
would be the child will go to bed at 8 pm and get up on time for school. These goals are good for any
child going from kindergarten all the way through college. By setting these goals, the child will get
enough sleep and thrive in school. (http://www.ldonline.org)
Tip #3 (Organization)
Throughout the year, it is vital to be organized; especially the first week. The reason is because the
year is very busy and the more organized a student is early in the year; the easier the year will become.
Here are some tips that will help your child be organized throughout the year. The first tip is to have
multiple notebooks or three-ringed binders that are labeled for each subject. It is also a good idea to
color code each subject so that the child knows which binder to use and grab when needed. The second
tip is to have all school supplies labeled so that they are easy to find. The third and final tip is to make a
master list of all school textbooks and notebooks and what color code they are so that they can be
easily tracked. By doing this, the child will know where to look for a school supply when it goes missing
by looking at the master list. Keeping things organized will help not only give the child good peace of
mind, but the parents as well. (http://www.ldonline.org)
Conclusion
School can be a very hard, but rewarding time of the year. Every autumn, children go through the
school transition each and every year and that is why keeping up with these tips is a good source for not
only the child, but for any parent. Helping the child make their own goals and reward them when they
achieve their goals is very important because they learn that when they work hard at something;
success can happen. Every child can have a successful school year; as long as they have good guidelines
to follow.
Wernsing, K. (2018) Back-to-School: Tips for Parents of Children with Special Needs. Retrieved from
Written by Marcella Hays, Novastar Prep Coach