I remember as if it was yesterday, when I was in elementary school, the first sign of Back to School TV commercials put me in a spin. Fortunately, for a number of summers, I was in summer camp in late July, early August, and I missed the brunt of the marketing efforts to get us ready for school. However, there are a few things which I have found to be useful as we hit the dog days of summer and look toward the first day of school: Consider the following …
1. Kids do best with consistency and predictability; start the earlier bed times now so when school starts, you already have a pattern. Also, consider doing a number of the school-schedule activities like breakfast, dinner, and chores on a Fall schedule rather than Summer if your kids do best with structure in transitions.
2. Bring reading and math back into their lives; establish reading times as well as have your kids help you with the groceries by doing mental math (if this is within their skill set) before check out. Also, it’s a good time to review number facts in the ways your kids love to learn. There are many math fact games on line. Look at the following resources: http://www.bookadventure.com/Home.aspx for reading and http://www.sumdog.com/ for math.
3. For kids who need transition support; visit the school, the playground, and even set up an appointment with this year’s teacher (many are hanging around the building a few weeks before school starts).
4. If you have an IEP or a 504 Plan in your child’s toolkit, it would be best to review the documents with the kids, highlight the accommodations in their terms, and consider making an appointment with your child’s IEP or 504 point person prior to the first day. Don’t assume that all staff members working with your kids will review the IEP or 504 Plan; sometimes, it takes weeks or months before it gets in the hands of those who need to know these documents.
5. Together write thank you cards, notes, or birthday greetings to anyone you know for writing is one of those skills that takes a hit over the summer; it is not a part of most kids summer experiences unless they went to camp. A sharp pencil helps support a sharp mind! One of the fun ways to play with writing is to purchase a “Mad Libs” game for your elementary age kids.