This is a guest post by Dr. Stephanie Moyers from Ties to Literacy – Boys’ Achievement Matters.
For many boys, the thought of returning to school, after a summer of extended outdoor playtime and the freedom to choose their activities, is not filled with much excitement. The tasks associated with school are often viewed as boring and are often the catalyst to many struggles between parents and their boys. The following 4 ideas can help you ease the transition back to school and contribute to a successful school year:
1. Schedule time to meet with your son’s teacher. It is important to be an advocate for your son. Most teachers are not aware of the current issues facing boys in school, and are oftentimes not equipped with the tools and strategies to manage the high energy nature of boys. Hence the rising trend of teachers being the most likely individual to refer boys for special needs and ADHD assessments.
2. Make a schedule for the week. Boys thrive with structure and knowing expectations. Boys are not as successful when schedules change, or they do not know what is coming next.
3. Create a homework challenge game for encouraging your son to get his homework done so he can have his free time. Boys thrive on competition and rewards.
4. Allow for free, unscheduled time during the school week. There is so much pressure to schedule activities, sports, etc. that many boys never have opportunities to just play, explore, and create on their own. It is very important to allow for this time. “Down” time allows for boys to recharge and refocus.
Read Dr. Stephanie Moyer’s other articles:
