The Early Years

For the younger grades, the back-to-school season can be very intimidating. New teachers and new surroundings can be upsetting to young students’ routines. There can even be separation anxiety. Whether young students have back-to-school jitters or not, parents can help young students feel relaxed and confident about back-to-school with these tips:

• Take a tour of the school and arrange to meet the teacher and view the classroom before school begins.
• Discuss previous school experiences with children, whether it’s pre-school, kindergarten, or the previous grade, and remind them about what they enjoyed about school.
• Talk about what they might be learning in the upcoming year and how exciting it is to learn to read chapter books, or learn how to divide—whatever the case may be.
• Taking a stroll around the building and playing on the play equipment helps first-graders develop a sense of familiarity with their school environment and lessens some of the anxiety.

The Middle Years

Back-to-school can be an exciting time—seeing friends again, meeting new teachers, and entering new classrooms. But it can also be a time of anxiety: new subjects, unfamiliar classmates, more challenging assignments, and more work.

Students in the middle years—from fourth to eighth grades—can help alleviate any tension with these tips:

• A little retail therapy can help to ease nerves. Picking out new book bags, binders and pencil cases can help elementary students feel in control and even excited to return to class.
• As with the early grades, it’s helpful to talk about what the year ahead might bring. Discuss academic strengths and weaknesses and help children identify any academic goals that they may have. What would they like to accomplish this year?
• Social pressures begin to develop during these years—often it’s helpful to encourage children to take part in extracurricular activities with their classmates. From sports to scouting, activities outside the classroom can build friendships and confidence in the classroom.

The High School Years

When school starts, it may seem like there is an endless expanse of time ahead, and that there is plenty of time to get on track. But, the truth is that the habits and routines that students develop during the first weeks of school are critical and can set the pace for the entire school year.

• High school students especially need to hit the ground running from day one, or they can easily fall behind, and the chances of pulling ahead drop.
• From the very first day of class, students should be using strategies to develop a strong momentum that will carry them throughout the whole year. These include:
  • Being organized
  • Using a planner
  • Eating right
  • Getting enough sleep
• Time management skills are especially critical in high school. The workload increases every year, as do personal and social responsibilities. Balancing an active social and personal life with homework can get tricky—that’s why it’s critical for high school students to master time management, and master it early on.
• The sooner that high school students get on track, the better.