The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Getting organized for the school year isn't on the top of the mind for most students and it's an issue that parents struggle to enforce from September to June. While the stresses of buying new books and other school materials often make the fall season hectic, Sylvan Learning Centre and palmOne Canada suggest the following tips to keep your household humming from the first day of classes, right through to year end report cards. 1. Know your child's schedule: Parents play an important role in their child's education and should stay involved from the first day of classes. Introduce an electronic organizer or handheld into your routine. Parents can review a child's schedule on their home computer, while students can update regular assignments and important dates throughout the day on the handheld. 2. Talk about School: Set aside a specific time each day to review the school day, talk about what's on the next day's schedule, and determine any bigger assignments or projects that require extra attention. 3. Establish a routine: Find a routine that works best for the whole family. Designate a specific time and place for homework time and help children discover a regular, quiet place for studying. 4. Get organized: Help students stay on track throughout the school year by helping to organize schoolwork, different subject areas and extra-curricular activities. Be familiar with what works best for your child and talk about different methods you use to organize your routines. 5. Encourage Home Learning: Promoting learning outside of the classroom helps children perform better at school. To nurture reading skills, Sylvan Learning Centre encourages parents to spend at least one hour per week - 10 to 15 minutes a day - reading with their child. To enhance math proficiency, children can help plan the next family trip by computing kilometres, cost of gas, and expenses for food, hotels and entertainment. To practice spelling, parents can challenge children to a game of Scrabble.8/20/2004
