Molly's Tips for Starting the School Year

Entering a new grade level at the beginning of the school year is both exciting and a little nerve-racking. This year, Molly Dugan can relate to the feeling. After two years teaching third grade, she'll begin teaching literature to 7th and 8th graders at the Lincoln Middle School in Dunellen, New Jersey.

For parents and teachers alike, keeping school in perspective is critical to having a successful year. "You have a mental picture of how your classes are going to go," says Molly, "but once you meet the children and assess their needs, it never goes according to the perfect plan in your head. The most important thing is that the kids are in a meaningful learning environment, how much material you plow through isn't as important."

Here are a few more tips from Molly for parents preparing to send their kids back to school (these are aimed at parents of younger children):

1. Encourage reluctant readers by helping them find books, magazines, and newspaper articles on a subject of particular interest to them. Don't worry if they are not reading the type of books that you think they should be reading right now. The important thing is for them to become comfortable with print and to see themselves as readers. Let your child see you reading. Instead of reading after your child has gone to bed, find a time when you can read together. Discuss your books and ask questions. This will help your child see reading as a lifelong activity.

2. Be sure to attend Back to School Night and the other informational evenings held at your school. These events will assist you in preparing and organizing your child for a successful school year. It will also allow more time at conferences to ask specific questions about your child's progress. At Back to School Night, you may want to ask questions like: how much help does the teacher think parents should give their kids with homework and projects? How much time does the teacher think your child should be spending on homework each night? (One rule of thumb teachers use to determine this is to suggest ten minutes of homework for each grade-level. For third graders then, a teacher might recommend 30 minutes.)

3. Determine your child's most productive time for completing homework -- doing homework right when he or she gets home may not be the best time. Experiment with different times and then try and stick to a schedule. If your child has difficulty staying focused for an extended period of time, break homework assgnments into smaller chunks. For younger children, it may help to use a timer so they can tell how long they've been working and how much time they have left.

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