KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — It’s not too late to help children prepare for the back-to-school transition, a University of Tennessee child care specialist said Wednesday.
Dr. Jan Allen, a UT-Knoxville professor of child and family studies and head of Knoxville’s Child Care Information and Referral Service, said parents can spend a few days before school starts helping children develop habits they need to be successful in school.
Knox County schools begin Aug. 19. Allen cited five things parents may want to do:
* Establish a bedtime and transition back-to-school nighttime routine. This includes an earlier bedtime than children have had during summer, a special one-on-one time at bedtime to read stories or, with older children, talk about the day’s activities and plan for the next day.
* Encourage children to think about organizational and study habits that work for them.
* Take children on a trip to buy school supplies.
* Help children choose a place and routine for studying and doing homework.
* Schedule a time for children to talk about their expectations, questions, concerns and fears for the upcoming school year.
“Spending time on the transition back to school makes beginning the school year easier for children and parents,” Allen said.
___
Contact: Dr. Jan Allen (423-974-8911)