The leaves are starting to fall and sometimes there is a break in this southern humidity as I feel a breeze rustle my hair.  We are busy counting down to two major events here in the south: the start of a new school year and football season.  (Just in case you wonder where my loyalities lie- WAR EAGLE!!!!)

As a veteran teacher, I have coached many parents over the years with strategies for a successful school year.

Here’s my top 20 tips to help learners and families make the most of the new opportunity for growth and progress:

1. Have a designated place for homework, aka, a homework station.

Keep it stocked with all of the necessities at your finger tips. {paper, crayons, markers, etc.} If possible, have a second set of all materials/books at home.

2. Tackle the harder homework first and in small increments.

Don’t be afraid to set the hard work aside, have a break or work on another assignment. Sometimes a fresh, rested pair of eyes can learn better than drudging through a difficult concept for hours.

3. Have your child use a timer and can easily be monitored by him/her.

A timer has many uses; timing a work session, setting a limit for breaks, a race to see how fast your child can retell learned material or a timed independent practice before asking for help. This is a MUST have for every homework station!

4. Set boundaries on activities during the school year to promote balance and have an emphasis on learning.

5. Discover your child’s learning style.

Find out if he/she is an auditory learner, visual or tactile learner, and incorporate study habits that are in line with the way he/she learns best.  Students need to be TAUGHT how to study!

6. Learning does not have to take place sitting down.

Incorporate movement, song, art, etc… into study habits to help promote retention of new material.

7. Have high but realistic expectations of your child.  

Not everyone will excel at academics, so encourage your child to explore all areas of success and interest.

8. Remind your child of God’s purpose and plan for their life.

Whether or not your child is a scholar, God does have a plan for your child and you can pray with your child about finding his/her purpose in life.

9. Develop an organization system or binder for your child to take back and forth to school.

Put all papers/projects in its place each evening.  Supervise this process until he/she proves that it can be done independently.

10. Teach your child to keep a calendar for large projects and deadlines and to cross off when completed.

11. Incorporate post-it notes into your child’s study habits.

They are handy for taking notes, marking key concepts, writing questions and a variety of other resources.

12. Encourage your child to ask questions of you, the parents, or to the teacher as needed.

Sometimes children need to hear that it is alright to ask questions and need to know it’ s a big part of the learning process.

13. Be respectful of the teacher {ALWAYS!} in front of your child, even if there is a problem.  

You don’t want your opinions, even if valid, to rub off on how your child views the teacher or class.

14. Teach your child not to procrastinate.

Start studying for tests and projects in bite size pieces so not to be overwhelmed later.

15. Incorporate school lessons into practical life situations.  

Making learning real and meaningful will help further retention of information. For example, bring your child to the grocery store for lessons on counting money, estimating and managing a budget.

16. When your child struggles, teach that life can be hard and sometimes mastering concepts requires extra practice.

Being diligent is hard to learn, but remind your child to turn to God in all aspects of life, including school struggles.

17. Don’t be afraid to let your child fall or in some cases, fail.  

You don’t have to come to the rescue every time a mistake is made. There’s a lot of learning in the mistakes of life.

18. Don’t always believe that your child is right.

Be an open-eyed parent, one not afraid to admit the imperfections of your child.

19. Seek help when an academic problem first arises.  

I know {trust me, as a mom to a child with Autism, I KNOW} it’s tempting to sweep problems under the rug and pretend they don’t exist, but you want to get to the root of academic problems ASAP. Early intervention is key to tackling learning difficulties.

20. Pray for and with your child about school.  

Pray for their academics, their teacher, their friends and all aspects of school life.  Join the 30 Day Prayer Challenge to pray for your child’s new school year and dedicate this year to the Lord.

 Keep these ideas fresh in your mind with the 20 Strategies for a Successful School Year printable!

It’s free, and part of the subscriber-only printable pack filled with:

– Lunch box love notes

– Teacher treat bag toppers

– 30 Days of Prayer for the New School Year prayer guide

– Back to school conversation cards

– Lunch calendar

What strategies for school success work for your family?