First Month Checklist

---

The first weeks of school are critical: the habits that are formed during the first weeks can follow students—and parents—for the rest of the school year.

Now that school is back in session, ensure that students are on track and hitting the important milestones with this checklist:

1. Communicate with teachers
Don’t wait until the first report card to find out that things are off-track. Take 10 minutes to chat with the teacher about progress and nip any problems in the bud.

2. Do homework, even when there is none
Homework is school inevitability, the sooner students learn good homework habits, the less of a struggle it is. Do homework at the same time every night, even if none was assigned. There is no such thing as no homework, ever.

3. Use agendas
Agendas are the number-one school organizational tool. Students should be writing homework, assignments, and to-do lists in their agendas everyday. If schools don’t provide agendas, purchase one—it’s that important.

4. Talk about school
School is a major part of kids’ lives. If they are unwilling to discuss their day, something may be amiss. Talk to kids about their day and have an open dialogue about school and learning challenges.

5. Watch frustration/stress levels
Between learning new subjects and balancing homework, chores, and social lives, it can be easy for students to become overwhelmed. This can be very de-motivating and can lead to a drop in grades, and bad attitudes about school. Get help as soon as it’s needed.

6. Keep an eye on procrastination
Leaving work to the last minute/not wanting to do work is a sign of poor organization skills. Last-minute rushing means poor preparation and poor grades.

7. Forgetting work
A red alert of poor organization skills, forgetting work, misplacing assignments, or losing textbooks is a sure sign of an off-track student. If students are showing signs of disorganization, get help as soon as possible.

Bonus Tip! Get in the habit of opening and sorting through book bags right after school. Students should come home, open the book bag, take out lunch boxes, and place their agenda on the table. After a snack, or chores, open the agenda and get to work!

Check out our printable version!