The school year is back in full swing, and we wanted to take this opportunity to say welcome back from summer vacation!
The transition from the leisure activities of the summer to the hustle and bustle of a new school year can be a tough one, so here are a few tips to make the process smoother and insure that the beginning of the school year is productive and less stressful:
-Don’t think of the first week as the first week – This sounds simple, but year in and year out we see students that wait until the 3rd, 4th, and 5th weeks to begin taking the school year seriously. There can be a tendency to view the start of the school year as a slow and gradual process, but the truth is that kids will begin having homework, assignments and even quizzes in the first week of school.
-Develop a plan quickly – One of the most common errors we see at the beginning of a new school year is students making too slow of a transition to a school routine. Identify an organizational plan in the first week, and stick with it. It is always easier to stay on top of things than procrastinate and try to play catch up
-Don’t’ wait for the first bad grade to seek help – Every year we see families wait until the first progress report or first bad grade to seek help or tutoring. While that works for some people, I generally encourage people that are planning on regular tutoring to do so very early in the school year. It is far easier to get off to a strong start though tutoring and then scale back if the student is doing well than it is to wait until a bad test grade or progress report comes home and trying to play catch-up. Staying on top of things from the start of the year decreases stress levels and anxiety for everyone involved.