Welcome Back!
The new school year is here! You can help make it a successful one by setting the stage for learning. Share these three Rs with your youngster: readiness, routine, and responsibility.
Readiness
Ensure that your child goes to school ready to learn every day:
· Speak positively to your child about school and the teachers. Your attitude toward learning will send a powerful message to your youngster.
· See to it that your child gets at least eight hours of sleep and a nutritious breakfast so he'll feel rested and alert.
Routines
Develop simple routines for smooth, stress-free mornings:
· Help your child pick an outfit and pack her lunch in the evening. Have her put everything she needs for school in a special "gab "n" go" corner.
· Together, create a regular morning routine. For example, you might make your bed while your youngster gets dressed. Then, you could both eat breakfast.
Responsibility
Teach your youngster responsibility by helping him get organized:
· Make sure your child has a notebook for writing down assignments and due dates. You can show a younger child how to mark dates on a calendar so you can both keep track of assignments.
· Give your youngster a large envelope to keep in his book bag. Suggest that he tuck permission slips and notices of special events into the envelope so they don't get lost
Home & School connection: 2005 Resource for Educators, a division of Aspen Publishers, Inc.
