September is over, which means that all the excitement and hype about the return to school has worn off, and the school is well underway. Homework is heading home and students are studying for and writing tests. In all the commotion surrounding back to school, we tend to forget to prepare students for what happens after the newness has worn off.
If the back to school is a sprint, then the school year is a marathon! Students need the right skills to go the distance and not burn out. Implementing strong study skills and habits at the start of the year helps students for the long haul!
Don’t Get Off Track: Watch for Warning Signs
There’s a tendency after the return to school season to forget about checking in until the next milestone arrives: the first report card. But parents don’t need to wait until the first report card to learn that their children may be off track. There are many signs that indicate that students might be off-track academically. Some of the common warning signs:
- Shifts in sleep schedule, i.e., oversleeping or not getting enough sleep
- Too much screen time
- Eating unbalanced meals or skipping them altogether
- Procrastination
- Disorganization
- Frustration & stress levels
Tips to Maintain Momentum After Students Return To School
Helping your child stay motivated and maintaining the back-to-school momentum for the whole year is a tough job. We’ve got some tips to help you out!
- Create goals and set milestones monthly. Celebrate meeting those goals with mini-rewards. Goal-setting around academics sets milestones and gives your child something to anticipate. It’s also a great way to get the whole family involved. Kids do best when they have an example; when they see you achieving an ambitious goal, they will learn how to set goals and strive to achieve them, which is a skill that will be valuable throughout their life.
- Develop Strong Organization Skills. Disorganization can cause school stress. Using an agenda in-class and at home can help. Agendas are the number-one school organizational tool. Students should be writing homework, assignments, and to-do lists in their agendas every day. Colour-coded binders and notes can help when it’s time to study.
- Do Homework, Even When There is None. Homework is inevitable; the sooner students learn good homework habits, the less of a struggle they’ll face. Do homework at the same time every night, even if none was assigned. This is an excellent foundation for establishing an after-school routine. Review the day’s lessons, quiz yourself on last week’s work, or read ahead to next week’s lesson.
- Don’t Wait for Report Cards—Check in Often! While report cards are the formal account of academic progress, they are only one part of the overall academic engagement process for parents, students, and teachers. Parents can gather a relatively accurate idea of their child’s academic standing for this grade combined with parent-teacher conferences, previous report cards, projects, tests, and assignments, and daily conversation about school. Try asking these questions.
Keep School Motivation Strong With GradePower Learning!
At GradePower Learning, we know that motivation is key to school success! We help students find what motivates them so they are on track and looking ahead to success down the road. Our tutoring programs provide your child with a customized learning plan, learning strategies to implement in school, study and organization tips, improved school habits, and more! One of the best ways to maintain excitement for the entire school year is with a tutoring program at a GradePower Learning location near you.
