Time to Prepare for Back-to-School

Summer days allow time to relax and take a break from our routines of the school year.  Summer break allows kids more time to be kids, more time to play with friends and have fun.  As summer quickly comes to an end, it’s time to start thinking about how to prepare for back-to-school.  These 5 activities can be a fun way to get prepared and be ready for school on the first day.

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As the time for school to start nears, let’s help our children be ready for a successful start.  No summer fog or forgotten lessons.  Let’s help our children be prepared on the first day of school with more than just pencils and notebooks, but ready to start learning again.  Practicing these 5 activities for the next few weeks will help ensure a successful start to the school year.

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5 Daily Activities to Prepare for Back-to-School Success

Reading 30 Minutes a Day

If you only have time for one of the activities on this list, I would start with 30 minutes of reading every day.  You can read fiction books or use the time to read non-fiction books or study history and science (if you study history and science, it’s a great way to review for the new year).

Reading is a basic skill needed for all other subjects and learning.  Practicing and improving reading skills can have an impact in many other subject areas too.

To encourage more reading with reluctant readers, let them choose books they would like or read topics that interest them.  Don’t forget to show your children you love to read.  By showing them you enjoy reading for pleasure, they are more likely to read for pleasure too.

Review Math Problems and Facts

Many children struggle with math skills. Summer can be a great time to review math facts or practice formulas that were difficult to understand.  One of my favorite websites for math is math-drills.com because it offers many different worksheets to practice all math facts, algebra, geometry and more.  You can print the worksheets to practice with your child for free.

You can also use apps that review and practice math facts and problems.  There are many apps available that help your child practice math facts in speed drill style format.

Write Short Paragraphs and Stories

Writing is an important part of learning and success as an adult.  The process of developing ideas and putting them into a sequence is a practice in logic.  To help with writing, you can give your child, a writing prompt and ask them to write a few sentences (if they are younger) or a few paragraphs (if they are older).

A little practice writing during the summer could make a difference when school starts.

Practice Better Penmanship

Do you have challenges reading your child’s handwriting? The last few weeks of summer is the perfect time to practice how letters are formed and improve their penmanship.  Sometimes, it’s just a matter of getting your child to slow down a focus on what they are writing.

If your child is struggling with handwriting (print or cursive), Handwriting without Tears is a great option to help your child slow down a practice how to write and improve their actual letter forms.  They offer a complete series of books to improve print and cursive writing.

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Start Your Morning Routine Now

We have relaxed our morning routine during the summer.  Traffic is lighter and we just don’t hustle as fast during the summer mornings.  I notice the difference in our morning routine.  We leave about 10 minutes later during the summer (which would be a disaster during the school year – we would be late every day).

But, it’s time to start getting back into the school morning routine!   Don’t want to be late for school the first week (or worse on the first day).  Maybe you need to start getting up a little earlier or wake the kids a little earlier.

Get back to the habits of eating healthy breakfast as soon as you and the kids get up.  Then start the get ready routine (brush teeth, comb hair, put clothes and shoes).

Don’t wait until the last minute to start preparing for back-to-school.  It’s more than just buying new book bags and school supplies.  Do some reading every day, practice a few math problems, maybe write a paragraph or short story and improve penmanship.  Get back to the morning routine now.

Your turn…

What is your best idea for preparing for back-to-school?  How do you keep your children’s learning skills sharp during the summer?