A Confident Leap into the New School Year
As the school year approaches, some of us are filled with a sense of excitement, while others may dread the thought of rushed mornings, unclear expectations, and missing homework. The good news? There's still time to prepare and make the upcoming year smoother and more enjoyable for everyone.
What if you used the rest of the summer to create and practice routines? Imagine mornings running smoothly, homework battles disappearing, and everyone feeling confident about the new school year.
Establish a Morning Routines
One way that you can begin building the executive functioning skills necessary to thrive during the school year now while the stakes are lower is by creating a consistent morning routine. If your student is attending summer camp, it's a great opportunity to practice getting up and out of the door on time. Students can gain a sense of autonomy and independence, boosting their confidence that they can get themselves ready for the day. Finding the tool that works best for them—be it a checklist, timer, or countdown from Alexa—is key to internalizing this routine.
One tool we particularly love is a visual schedule, which breaks down routines into smaller, clear steps to make tasks easier to follow and complete. Place it in a central location, such as on a bedroom wall or the fridge. Break down the tasks within the schedule that they need to complete before heading out for the day: getting dressed, brushing teeth, eating breakfast, packing a snack, and putting on shoes. Keep it simple to ensure success. Practice regularly, so the routine becomes second nature.
For both older and younger students, each part of the routine can help build executive functioning skills and boost confidence. For example:
Getting Dressed: Problem-solving (uh-oh, a hole in the sock!), Task Initiation (switching from PJs to clothes), Time Management (keeping the process moving), Focus (staying on task), and Planning (what to put on first).
Packing a Snack/Lunch: Organization (choosing and arranging items in the lunchbox or bag), Time Management (ensuring the snack or lunch is packed before leaving for the day), Decision Making (hmmm apple or pear today?), Task Initiation (starting the packing process promptly), and Self-Monitoring (checking that everything needed is included and nothing is forgotten).
The key to boosting confidence in morning routines is allowing students to complete as much of it independently as possible. By being mindful of when and how we offer help, we can demonstrate our trust in their abilities, leading to a more self-assured start to the day.
Reflect and Plan
Another valuable step in getting ready for the new school year is to reflect on the previous year and plan for what's ahead. Reflecting allows you to identify what worked well and what areas need improvement. This reflection can be a powerful tool for setting goals and building motivation for the new year.
To do so you can:
Use Feedback: Gather feedback from teachers, coaches, and other trusted adults. Celebrate strengths and use them as anchors during tough times. Identify areas for improvement and involve your student in planning how to address them. Break down skills into manageable parts and celebrate victories, big and small, to build confidence.
Choose a Planner: Find a system to track homework and assignments. If a traditional planner didn’t work last year, figure out why. Maybe it wasn’t exciting, had too little space, or your student prefers digital tools. Try different options, like our free downloadable planner. Practice using it over the summer to make it a habit by September.
Seek Support
As you reflect and plan, it's also important to identify and seek out support systems that can help you succeed this year and beyond. If your student is just beginning their educational career as a kindergartener or transitioning to a new school setting, connect with support staff to ensure a smooth start to the school year. If your child works with an OT or another provider, ask for recommendations to build skills needed for success before school starts. If additional support would be helpful, consider enrolling in a program focused on boosting executive functioning skills, like our transitional program.
No matter your student’s age, summer is the perfect time to enhance executive functioning skills and boost confidence for the new school year.