Although school doesn't start up until September 3rd in the Seattle area, kids and parents can already get started on a few things to make sure students don't miss a beat in the classroom.
College Nannies and Tutors, located at 7605 SE 27th St, Mercer Island, WA has a tip sheet for six ways to help your child start the school year successfully:
1. Show interest: Go to parent-teacher conferences, hang up academic calendars and ask your children about what they're excited about this school year.
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2. Set expectations together: By coming up with attainable goals with your child, you ensure that you both know what to expect at the end of the quarter and your child will know what he or she is expected to do to reach those goals. College Nannies + Tutors wants to emphasize the importance of realistic goals though. Be aware of your child’s grade level and what a realistic achievement would be.
3. Get to know the school: Introduce yourself to your kids' teachers and counselors and consider volunteering at the school to show that you care. Getting to know the teachers can help prevent any avoidance behavior your child may have towards a particular subject or assignment.
Find out what's happening in Mercer Islandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
4. Get online: Look at your children's teachers' websites to find out important dates so that you can stay in the loop and help your child stay on top of his or her assignments.
5. Support attendance: Make sure your kids knows their attendance is important by minimizing the amount of time you take them out of class - schedule family vacations and appointments in a way that prevents students from missing classroom instruction.
6. Encourage involvement: Besides looking online and going to involvement fairs to sign up for clubs, your child should look into starting a club. If there's a club that you don't have, push the kids for a little initiative to start a club. Nothing says 'I'm a go-getter (on a resume)' as much as 'Well, I saw a need and I addressed the need."
College Nannies + Tutors also suggests finding out what your child's learning style is before he or she goes back to school - there are free online assessments and quizzes that will tell you which learning methods will work best for him or her.
Know the kind of student that you have. It is good to understand that early on and then start gauging or gearing your study habits toward that.
Teaching your child the importance of organizational skills is another important strategy for starting the year strong.
The student who are kind of falling behind in the class, you know, there's always a reason and it always kind of ties back to their organization. What does their binder look like, their folder? You often find holes in that system.
We are offering two Study Skills Workshops this summer for Middle and High School Students.
August 8 – Middle School: 9:30-12pm, High School 12:30pm-3pm
August 15- High School: 9:30-12pm, Middle School 12:30-3pm
Some topics covered: Managing Time and Using a Planner, Folders, Binders, and Organization, and Note Taking Techniques.
To register call or email Roo Mulligan 206-659-4156, rmulligan@collegenannies.com
Cost: $25
Above all, getting started early and recognizing as soon as possible if your student needs help is the biggest tip for success.