Back-to-school study lessons for students

By Mike Dawson

Labor Day weekend, the end of Grange Fair — those usually mean one thing to most Centre County parents, their children and teachers: the start of a new school year.

Inevitably, that means some students and their parents will have to adjust to the school-time routine, such as going back to and enforcing an earlier bedtime or doing homework after school. Other parents, some nervous, some excited, will send their kindergartners to school for the first time.

Here some local teachers and national educational organizations offer tips to help parents make the back-to-school transition a smoother one:

u Help your child develop good homework habits. This includes setting up a study area at home with no distractions; having the materials ready that your child needs to complete the assignments, such as pencils, a pencil sharpener, textbooks, paper, ruler, scissors or glue; and scheduling daily time to do the work.

Kelly Senak, a learning support teacher in the Penns Valley Area School District, recommends setting up the study area to suit the child’s learning style. For example, if the child needs quiet to finish his or her work, then no one should be allowed to walk into the study area during the homework time, she says.

The U.S. Department of Education advises against children delaying their homework until right before bedtime. “Think about using a weekend morning or afternoon for working on big projects, especially if the project involves getting together with classmates,” the department says on its Web site.

Encourage your children to work independently, which will teach them responsibility, Senak says. If your child has a question, have them call a friend before you offer help. That will help them develop problem-solving skills, Senak says.

In addition, dividing the homework into smaller pieces can help make it more manageable, she says.

u Keep track of your child’s homework. The Internet has made communication between teachers and parents easier than ever, and students may be able to access their homework from their teachers’ Web pages on the school districts’ Web sites.

Rebecca Thorsen, an English teacher at State College Area High School, says she updates her site with the homework for each unit. And of course, parents should expect their children to have homework to do after school.

“If they’re not doing anything, that’s usually not good,” she says.

One way to tackle homework is helping your child determine which assignments are the easier ones and which ones are the harder ones. “Have your child do the hard work first. This will mean he will be most alert when facing the biggest challenges. Easy material will seem to go fast when fatigue begins to set in,” the U.S. Department of Education says on its Web site.

u Communicate with your child’s teacher.

Mardi McDonough, a sixth-grade teacher at Park Forest Middle School, recommends using e-mail. “E-mail the teacher so that they have your home e-mail in their mail system,” McDonough says.

Debbie Patrick, a kindergarten teacher at Park Forest Elementary School in the State College Area School District and a community columnist for the Centre Daily Times, says in addition to e-mail, most teachers have a classroom phone and a Web site that parents can use to contact them.

“Check with your child’s teacher and see which method is best for reaching them and let them know the most efficient way to reach you,” Patrick says. “You never know when (the child) might need permission for a trip … or when they might have a fever.”

Thorsen, the State High teacher, says back-to-school nights are a great time to meet the teacher and get on the teacher’s e-mail list. “Teachers try to do group e-mails to parents,” such as for weekly homework assignments, she says. “Usually, teachers will put parents on the list during back-to-school night. High school parents don’t usually communicate with teachers that much, at least compared to elementary students’ parents. So, that night is really important.”

Laura Barthmaier, a second-grade teacher at Easterly Parkway Elementary School in the State College Area School District, says teachers appreciate the positive feedback they get from parents.

“Find a moment to write a note or send an e-mail telling your child’s teacher about something positive that happens during the first month of school,” she says. “This will communicate appreciation for the multitude of small moments that are all part of what teachers work toward every day for each one of their students.”

The National Education Association recommends parents prepare for and go to parent-teacher conferences to discuss their children’s achievements, get involved in the school’s parent-teacher association and keep track of the school calendar and attend school events. u Establish routines to get ready for the school day.

The NEA suggests parents establish a bedtime ritual and determine the route their child will take to and from school and practice it. Bev Bruening, a kindergarten teacher at Ferguson Township Elementary, says, “Make sure your child gets plenty of sleep on school nights.”

Patrick, the kindergarten teacher, also stresses making sure children eat a good breakfast. “I know some kids don’t like to eat when they wake up, … but breakfast is offered at most schools.”

Make sure your child is equipped with the right-sized backpack, says Lynn Dobash, who teaches kindergarten at Grays Woods Elementary School.

“The cute teddy-bear types aren’t big enough for kindergarten projects,” she says.

Thorsen says if your child doesn’t have strong organizational skills, step in and help — for example, check his or her backpack or folders to make sure homework will be returned.

u Encourage your child to get involved in school activities. Local high schools offer plenty of extra-curricular activities to help students find an interest.

“Getting involved in clubs does give (the student) another teacher who knows (him or her) really well,” Thorsen says.

The clubs help build children’s social networks by introducing them to people they might not have met in class, and club meetings or activities help generate students’ excitement about school, she says."