Getting a jump start on school

Dear Families,

I hope you all are enjoying your summer. Better yet, I hope that you are sipping on something cool on a secluded island. School is around the corner and I wanted to give you a few tips to get your child ready for the school year.

1) Visit your state's website for the standards. Download them. Study them and try to understand the expectations (what do they want Joe to be able to do?). I would recommend you start visiting the library and identifying resources to support math and science standards.

2) Have your child to start practicing math for 15-20 minutes per day.

3) Have your child to start getting back into the habit of reading an hour per day. Check their comprehension.

4) If you have not met with your child's school counselor (High School), do so right away, but first familiarize yourself with the course offerings and college requirements.

5) Attend all meetings with your child and their counselor. Why? I have noticed that counselors ask students what courses they would like to take. The students pick a course, then are told that some courses do not count for admissions into 4 year colleges and universities. Be sure that your child is taking the A-G requirements, just in case they want to go straight to a four year college. Its great that your child be involved, but let's face it they are still children, not adults. They do not know the ramifications of middle and high school yet.

6) Help your child choose electives that are aligned with their strengths and interests, not what the school has left over.

7) Ask what the school has in place should your child need extra support. Are they using Response to Intervention (RTI)? Will the teacher run small groups if necessary? Are teachers available before and after school for assistance? Does the school offer free peer-tutoring? Is there a list of local tutors?

8) Encourage your child to engage in sports and music at the school site. It may help them to feel like a part of the larger community. Coaches have turned out to be some of the main reasons many students are successful in academics and in life.

9) Start to develop their routines including: bedtimes, chores, and limited television and computer time.

10) Have on-going conversations about expectations at home and school.