Ready, Set, Success … Starting the School Year Right

A new school year has begun, full of opportunities and challenges for children of all grades and abilities. Parental encouragement and routine at home are important in supporting your child to have a successful academic experience. Guide and support your child to take charge of their own responsibilities. Even young children can begin to develop habits which lead towards independence and success as they grow older, such as packing their own backpacks and checking off homework assignments as they are completed. Parents who invest the time to teach and encourage their child, instead of giving the solution or doing the tasks for them, raise a child with self-esteem rooted in accomplishment, and the tools to continue to achieve.

Some simple ways you can help your student develop healthy school year habits include:

• Designate a spot in your home for each child to drop their backpack and organize any supplies and work needed for the following day.
• Provide a healthy snack and a break after school and activities before jumping into homework to prepare your child to be better able to focus on studying.
• Decide on a time and create a space for homework to be completed.
• Sit down with your child and create a homework plan together to avoid a power struggle. Help your child break down larger and longer-term assignments into manageable steps with timelines for completion.

If you are putting in the time and effort to work with your child and notice that he or she is still struggling, reach out to the teacher to see how to best work together to face challenges early on. Mobile Therapy Centers offers free screenings to help identify areas where your child may need a little extra support to reach their full potential and has the flexibility to fit therapy around your family’s schedule at a convenient location – at the school, the library, your home, or at our offices in Libertyville. Whether your child needs Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Behavioral Therapy, or ABA Therapy, we can help. If you are concerned that something doesn’t seem quite right, call our office phone # 847-816-7200, or email us: asktheteam@mtcus.com today.

This article was written by Carol Morrone, Manager of Educational Services & Development for Mobile Therapy Centers