Getting Young Kids Ready for School

This school year, my oldest heads off to high school, my son will be in the middle of middle school, and my youngest enters her last year of elementary school. But I can still see each of them walking up the hill to our elementary school the first day of kindergarten, their sneakers squeaky clean, their colorful backpacks hanging to their knees.  

I remember turning to other parents to talk about what to expect for my kids at school, which is still a great way to help your young ones (and you) get ready for school. Fortunately, there's also a wealth of information at parents' fingertips on the web.

Here are a few sites that offer some terrific tips and advice for parents of young school-age kids. If you've come across other favorites you've bookmarked, please share below.

Pbsparents.org - Among the many topics covered on this PBS site for parents, including "Children and Media," "Early Math," and "Child Development," is "Going to School." Click on it and you'll find a grade-by-grade guide to "What Kids Learn at School." You'll also find some good advice about how to help hesitant little ones adjust to a new school year, such as setting up playdates with a kids from their class and giving kids control over what they can control—what to bring to school for lunch and choosing school supplies.

Education.com - This everything-education site launched in June, and it is chock-full of wonderful content on every aspect of children's education. You can even find or set up groups to share and learn with other parents about specific concerns. Under the Parent-School Connection tab, you'll find several articles on how to be involved in your child's school life and how to help them with homework when the school day is over.

Ed.gov - This U.S. Department of Education site has a "Helping Your Child Series" that focuses on helping kids with individual subjects (math, history, science), as well as how to guide them to become readers, and help them with homework strategies.

Don't go too crazy. Reading up on ways to help your child learn is great, but making home the place to play, read, and decompress is the best thing you can do for your kids to reinforce what they learn at school. Talk to them about what they learned in school every day, and let them know you're there for them to talk to you about all the little and big things that happen during their school day. Then, get ready for some great conversations.

Related: Back to School: Go Online for Homework Help
Education.com: A One-Stop Resource for Parents