Establish Back to School Routines for Academic Success

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It’s hard to believe I’m the mom of a fourth-grader. It seems like just yesterday I dropped her off for her first day of kindergarten. We’ve both learned and grown a lot over the last five years. She has learned to read and spell, and I’ve learned to exercise my patience and establish routines that benefit our entire household.

If you have kids going back to school soon, it’s a great time to establish routines that can help them throughout the school year. Below are four tips to establish back-to-school routines for academic success.

Dedicate a space for school activities

Having dedicated workspaces is a great way to boost focus and productivity. This is true for both kids and adults. Find a space in your home for your child to work on their school activities. This can be a desk in their room, a corner in the living room, or a dedicated space in your home office.

Establish a sleep schedule

The key to a successful school day starts the night before. Going to bed on time is key to getting enough sleep and feeling refreshed for the next day. If your child’s sleep habits were thrown off during the summer, take a few weeks to get them back on track. Try timers to keep your family on schedule and ensure everyone goes to bed at a reasonable time.

Set homework expectations

I don’t know about your kids, but my daughter is not a fan of homework. It’s always been a task of its own to get her to focus on an assignment, especially after she’s had a long day at school. At the beginning of the school year, my husband and I ensure we set realistic homework expectations with her. Every night, she knows exactly what to do and the routine to follow to complete it.

Create nightly checklists

Like most families, mine is always busy and on the go. We move from task to task to end the day on a bright and productive note. Unfortunately for kids, their attention span and memory don’t always align with that of an adult, which is where checklists come in handy. We created a nightly checklist my daughter follows every evening. It helps remind her of her responsibilities without the need for her parents to micromanage her every move.