Back to School Strategies

The new school year has started or will be starting soon in your area.  Children are excited and eager to see their old teachers, classmates, and create new memories.  Most school districts review information from the previous school year, and they review classroom expectations.    These things help kids get back into their school routine and provides a refresher before new information is taught.

 I wanted to provide some strategies for parents to help the school year start smoothly.

·      Beginning of the year testing

Beginning of the Year testing, or BOY data, is completed during the first couple weeks of the new school year.  BOY data is a big priority for schools, interventionists, specialists, and parents.  Each school system uses a variety of materials to determine students’ current level of function.  Most schools complete their beginning of the year (BOY) testing during the first month of school, which allows them to determine small group placement, identify who is at risk, on grade level, or advanced, as well as planning the weekly lessons.  This information is used throughout the school year by the school team to monitor students’ progress. 

·      Working at home

Children can improve their reading and language skills by completing homework, workbooks selected by parents, or by learning through daily interactions.  While your child completes tasks, make note of how your child is doing.  You can tell if your child understands the material based on the number of correct responses completed, how long it takes to complete the task, do they ask for help for more than 50% of the task, or do they have other things they NEED (e.g., going to the bathroom multiple times) to do as soon as they start doing work.  Speak with your child's teacher or specialist about any challenges you have noticed.

·      Keep it positive

During work time, try to stay positive without vocalizing all the things your child does not know or telling them they cannot do something (e.g., “You can’t read!).  These two things can reduce a child’s confidence and attitude towards education.  During my years of working with children, children with low confidence have been quieter when speaking to peers and teachers, reluctant to try, or exhibited behaviors such as crying.  Every year, I spend the first month or two just getting new clients comfortable to speak or complete a task.  During that time, I teach skills without direct feedback about what the child has said if they are having difficulty.  For example, I tend to say “great, let’s keep going” when a child is incorrect instead of “try to do it this way.”  This helps the child understand that my role is to show them various ways to learn a skill without feeling tested or judged. This method has allowed me to get clients to complete more work and increase participation during tasks.

I hope these strategies are helpful for you and your child.  If you have any questions, would like your child to receive individual therapy, or register for our literacy and language enrichment program coming in the fall, feel free to call us at 202-807-5124 or send us an email at support@capitalreadingclub.com.