by Donesa Walker, M.Ed, owner of LearningRx of Shreveport-Bossier
Queuing up in a line for a concert or a much anticipated movie premier holds no candle to getting all ready for the first day back to school whether you are a child or an adult. This preparation takes place on many levels such as school supplies, clothing, books, travel arrangements, changing waking/sleeping schedules, etc. However, there is one area that is often overlooked and this is the cueing up of the learning process itself. While many students gear up excitedly, other students experience a high level of anxiety at the onset of the school year and some even get very sick at the prospect of another school day. The brain, unlike other organs/ muscles in the body, experiences emotion and associates events/places with these emotions. Helping all students to anticipate school as a positive thing is a big challenge and each parent/guardian has his/her hands full. Being ready is the key. Let’s look at this as if preparing for a vacation; after all, that’s a fun thing to look forward to with anticipation and not fright.
READY
Preparing for a trip requires planning and foresight. Apply the same to preparing for the school year. Most prepare for the school year by simply getting school supplies, clothing, etc. and don’t make this necessary first step. Starting the year off by getting checkups is important. Schedule checkups promptly with medical doctors for vision, hearing, dental, and others as needed. If the student has never struggled with the learning process but is involved in sports, this is also a good time to get a baseline cognitive assessment for awareness of the brain function and the learning process. If the student has struggled in the past with learning experiences, this is the right time to get a cognitive & academic assessment to screen for any learning difficulties so that you can add any interventions needed in the school setting to your success plan for the new school year as well as schedule outside interventions as necessary. A cognitive assessment is simply a series of tests that assess the way a student of any age learns best and allows the parent/guardian/student to know the learning style, strengths and weaknesses. Achieving awareness of these skills is much like getting a health checkup for vision, hearing, etc. Being armed with this knowledge allows good planning for a successful year. Cognitive assessments are available formally through local psychologists & counselors when seeking a diagnosis and are often covered by insurance. These assessments are available informally as well as locally. Additionally, some online versions are also available such as The Gibson Test of Cognitive Skills. In some instances, when intervention is needed or just desired for a leg up, getting brain training to retrain the thinking skills to a higher efficiency and enhance the learning process is the right step. There are local tutoring agencies to boost academic content areas also which sometimes getting a head start in these areas can benefit the student. Every student should know the direction of their learning processes so mapping the school year ahead will not be as frightful.
SET
Sit down with the student(s) and tentatively plan out the school year. Remember if you have multiple students in the household, a “family” meeting about this may be necessary to coordinate travel and extracurricular especially if an older student is responsible for a younger sibling. Print out a school calendar with starting dates, vacation dates, etc. for each student so each student has his/her own plan. Discuss expectations for the year such as grades, homework, performance in sports and extra-curricular. Let the student(s) lead the plan with the parent/guardian contributing and guiding these conversations. Discuss reward “souvenirs” for meeting expectation goals. Discuss consequences in advance for not meeting expectations as this will lead to a smoother disciplinary intervention. Be deliberate. Discuss concerns and anxiety inducers, and then try to alleviate these in simple manners. For some students, driving to the new campus and walking around it will reduce anxiety. Most schools will allow students to “tour” their campus if you call ahead and make arrangements. Make sure to include nutritional awareness to the plan. It is so important to the brain that the student stays adequately hydrated which means drinking water often throughout the school day. Make a plan with the student to track this intake as hydrating the body is the number one way to combat short term memory loss especially in the hot days of the summer season when school starts. Students who participate in sports really need to be aware of the level of water intake in the body as dehydration leads to a lot of health issues long term. Organize student study area, homework area, backpack and school planner/binder. Make a plan for when these items will be “checked” by the parent/guardian and set expectations for this in advance.
LEARN
A week to two weeks before school, begin the early sleep schedule, nutritional schedule, media schedule and study practices that student will use during the school year so that the student(s) form these healthy habits. Build excitement into the day by preparing special notes and snacks that will refresh the student throughout the day. If student is on medication that is used only during the school year, begin implementing it into the routine as often student may have a need for a medication change or update as growth occurred over the summer holidays. Make it a habit for parent/guardian to write a note of encouragement to the student to go into backpack or lunchbox each day. Preparing these in advance can help assure that each day one is included. Follow up each day. Have student/parent conversation that includes deliberate probing questions. Avoid the following questions: How was your day? What did you do today? Be specific in your questions. Ask questions such as the following: What new things did you learn in Math today? Who made you feel happy today? When did you enjoy your day the most? Ask specific subject- related questions on test days rather than generic “How did the test go?” The number one indicator to student success is parental involvement. Read to the student every day! No matter what age the student is, reading aloud builds a sense of togetherness like nothing else as well as refining vocabulary and allows the parent/guardian opportunities to speak into the student’s life about values, morals, etc. Sharing a great book builds a relationship that can last a lifetime.
WIN!!
Remember every student is a winner every day even on those days where the parent/guardian feels frustrated. Student behavior both academic and emotional relies on a training mindset. “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is older, he will not depart from it.“ Proverbs 22:6. Training students to think with heart, soul and mind is the ultimate challenge and the proof is evident as the student grows and learns. Pouring into the student morals, beliefs, and learning requires time.
Remember to a child Love is spelled TIME!
Cueing up of the learning process: QUICK TIPS
1. Schedule checkups such as yearly cognitive assessment, vison checkup, hearing checkup, dental checkup, etc.
2. Sit down with the student and plan the school year using a school calendar and planner.
3. Discuss expectations for the year such as grades, homework, performance in sports and extra-curricular.
4. Discuss reward “souvenirs” for meeting expectation goals. Discuss consequences in advance. Be deliberate.
5. Discuss concerns, anxiety inducers, and nutritional awareness
6. Organize student study area, homework area, backpack and school planner/binder. Make a plan for when these items will be “checked” by the parent/guardian and set expectations for this in advance.
7. A week to two weeks before school, begin the early sleep schedule, nutritional schedule, media schedule and study practices that student will use during the school year so that the student(s) forms these healthy habits.
8. Build excitement into the day by writing notes of encouragement for the student to “find” each day. Prepare these in advance.
9. Follow-up each day by asking specific subject-related questions.
10. Read to the student every day! Sharing a great book builds a relationship that can last a lifetime.
Remember to a child Love is spelled TIME!