A new school year is about to begin and after such a lovely long summer break, it’s always a great idea to start easing children back into it in the weeks leading to their first day back in the classroom.
To make the transition from holiday cruiser to motivated student a smooth ride, why not try these five simple steps for back-to-school success!
- Do a bedtime and wake–up reality check! If you find you need to make a move from later holiday bedtimes to more reasonable ‘school night’ bed times, start making the change at least a week prior to school starting. This will give bodies a chance to adjust. Likewise, with getting up times!
- Think about limiting the hours of television and devices in your home. We all love our TV, iPads, computer games and other electronic gadgets but we also know that children learn best when they are actively engaged. Get those pens, pencils, markers and crayons back in their hands and let them write, draw and doodle. Use scrap paper, whiteboards, magna-doodles, chalkboards and anything usable from your recycling box! Writing by hand will fire up areas of the brain and use cognitive functions that cannot be reproduced on those devices. Research also shows that kids that write by hand do better at reading and composing texts. And if that’s not enough incentive, getting them writing again will ensure their fine motor skills are back-to-school ready!
- Shop early for school supplies. Children love going through their old school supplies to see what’s worth keeping and what needs replenishing. Have them take ownership of this task by getting them to write their own lists and check lists of what they need before hitting the shops. If you have a writer who needs support with correct finger positioning for pens and pencils, you might want to check out this great pen for left-and-right-handed writers that has been designed by experts specifically for children, the BIC KIDS Ball Pen. For hassle-free felt tip markers consider investing in a set of ultra-washable felt tip pens that can easily be cleaned from skin and most clothes. These ones from BIC KIDS also have strong nibs that resist pushing in!
- Set up a special homework and study area in your home. It doesn’t have to be huge and can even be at one the end of the kitchen table. Have your kids help you stock a homework basket by filling it with their top picks for pencils, erasers, scissors, rulers and anything else they think they might need. Ensure that they know that this is the exclusive homework basket and area, stocked and ready to go to make homework pleasurable and accomplished easily.
- Get organised by making a family calendar together! Along with the start of the school year comes after-school activities, sport and other programs. It can get very hectic very quickly! Attach a BIC 4 Colours pen such as one of these ones to a large calendar and get your kids to write in their scheduled activities and timeslots month by month. The act of writing their activities on the calendar by hand will help them remember what they have on and when, as well as help everyone keep track of your family’s after school and weekend commitments.
Wishing everyone a smooth transition into the 2016 school year filled with happy, healthy learning and writing!