Summer is still going strong, with sunny beach days, camping trips, and mini weekend getaways on the calendar. But days are getting shorter, and that means school is just around the corner. A new school year is more than new shoes and sharpened pencils; it’s a fresh start for everyone.
Saying goodbye to sleeping in and hello to setting an early wake-up alarm can be rough, but a little planning can make it smoother. For teachers, planning lets you and your classroom be ultra-ready for a new group of students. School Zone’s commitment to helping parents and teachers support kids’ learning is decades-strong and counting. Read on for ideas to help welcome the new school year with confidence, including:
• Habits and mindsets for a smooth transition
• School supply lists
• Confidence boosters for kids’ classroom arrival
• First-day-of-school tips
Mindset first: prepare hearts & habits
Learning happens best when kids feel safe, loved, and ready to grow. Setting them up for success starts well ahead of the first day of school. Ease kids into building new routines for bedtime, screen time, and the morning hustle. Reinforce the exciting possibilities of a new year, learning new things.
The Child Mind Institute notes, “With praise, understanding, and some structure, you can smooth out back-to-school jitters.”
Parents:
• Get kids eager to learn. One way to do this is to show them your own excitement about learning. What are you reading? What are you looking forward to learning? What are you trying to improve on? Tell them why it matters. For example, the book you are reading has helped you understand a friend’s situation better. Or those line-dancing lessons have been really fun and good for you! For more on how to create a positive association with learning, see Big Life Journal’s 7 Ways to Instill a Love of Learning in Children.
• Start gradually changing bedtime and wake-up time. Yes, days are getting shorter, but it’s still light (or twilight) until quite late. The Sleep Foundation suggests adjusting bedtime and wake-up time by 15 minutes every few days until those times reach “school schedule.”
• Build in flexibility, especially at first. The Sleep Foundation also advises, “If your child does not fall asleep after twenty minutes, have them come out of their room and do a quiet, sleep-inducing activity free from blue light.”
• Establish a calm morning routine. Planning goes a long way. Lay out clothes and supplies the night before. Make a list of what everyone needs to do in the morning. Consider setting a timer for 10 minutes before needing to walk out the door. Practice goodbyes if kids are anxious.
• Emphasize and reassure that your kids can come to you with anything. Make sure they know you are willing to hear anything, whether it’s friend drama or a bad test score. Together, you can try and find a fix it or at least a healthy way to get past it.
• Encourage goal-setting. What do kids want for themselves this year? What are they excited about? Concerned about? What went well or less well last year? Goals can be academic, personal, or a combination. They might look like “Do homework every day before _________,” “Try and participate more in class,” “Ask for help as soon as I don’t understand something,” or “Try and get to know someone outside my usual friend group.”
• Be both coach and cheerleader. Help them identify their skills and interests and be realistic about them. Assure them that not being good at something, especially at first, is fine. If it’s important, we can get help and practice. If it’s not, maybe we just cross it off our list. Encourage them to try new things, while avoiding stopping and starting lots of activities without much time to evaluate. When they find something they are good at and all in on, affirm them.
Teachers:
• Journal goals for the school year. It can be amazing how putting ideas in writing can provide peace, clarity, and motivation. Being able to refer back to goals we set can also provide a sense of accomplishment down the road or a clear idea of where we were possibly off-mark or overambitious, and suggest the need for a reset.
• Practice good self-care. Bringing your A-game to the classroom starts with being your best rested, best nourished, most mindful self. Be sure to schedule you time on your calendar: a good book, walks in nature, time with friends—whatever recharges you.
• Build your resources. Always be on the lookout for possibilities, including online. As you well know, the right materials can help you challenge students in positive ways. It can be a process of trial and error, and that’s OK. Take a peek at TPT (Teachers Pay Teachers), billing itself as a place “where extraordinary teachers share their most innovative ideas.” Also explore School Zone’s workbooks, flash cards, learning kits, and Anywhere Teacher online learning program for ages 2-8. For information on 12-student or 25-student classroom subscription plans and rates contact: mpierson@schoolzone.com.
• Plan lessons. Sure, this time-consuming task is a given. Which is exactly why it can be easy to either procrastinate or over-analyze. Keep the big picture front and center. The Simply Organized Teacher offers tips for writing lesson plans quickly and effectively, or take a look at this 5 Easy Ways to Save Time Lesson Planning from Pocketful of Primary. Her tips include “use templates” and “collaborate.”
• Make a preparation checklist. Yep, we’ve all heard how handy lists can be. It’s such a common piece of advice that we sometimes ignore it! Trying to track everything in our heads can make for mental clutter. Lists provide structure and can reduce anxiety,
• Find support. Our digital world has vastly expanded the possibilities for finding community. If the teachers’ lounge isn’t giving you all you need, search Quora, Reddit, and Facebook for general support or specific teaching issues or questions. Chances are, someone out there has been in your shoes.
• Create a welcoming classroom atmosphere. Try to step back and see through the eyes of your students. Be 6 again. Or 10. What would delight you? What would make you think, “I can do this!” Gen Alpha is super tech-connected and, on average, are very much visual learners with a high expectation for visual stimulation. It doesn’t drive everything, but it does drive much. Check out Rachel Vincent’s step-by-step YouTube video on how to create beautiful classroom décor using Canva, which is free to educators!
School Supplies & Smart Gear Checklist
While starting school is about way more than sharpened pencils, physical supplies are a big part of it! Below are lists for home and classroom:
Parents:
• Backpacks
• Lunch box/lunch bag
• Pens and pencils
• Pencil pouch
• Erasers
• Hand sanitizer
• Tissues
• Labeling materials
• Highlighters
• Glue stick
• Notebooks (yep, even in our digital world!)
• Folders
• Calculator (for older kids—double-check the type needed)
• Flash cards and workbooks from School Zone
Here is a more detailed back-to-school checklist for parents of elementary-aged kids. It even includes learning-at-home tips and reminders!
Teachers:
• Planner (perhaps an all-in-one calendar, notebook, and lesson planner?)
• Hand sanitizer & disinfectant wipes
• Tissues
• Timer
• Pens, pencils, colored pencils, and crayons
• Pencil sharpener
• Stapler & staples
• Tape dispenser & tape
• Glue/glue stick/glue dots
• Magnets
• Binder clips
• Stickers (for décor and rewards)
• Gallon-size and sandwich-size Ziploc bags
• Sticky notes
• Whiteboard markers
• Storage bins and tubs (shelves as needed)
• Flash cards and workbooks from School Zone
Here is a more detailed back-to-school checklist for teachers. It even includes reminders about emergency plans and IEP/504 plans!
Boost academic confidence with learning warm-ups
Singers run through scales before starting a vocal session, and athletes do stretches to get loose before starting training to avoid injury and get the best results. Similarly, helping kids warm up before starting a new school year can help them be academically fit. Here are a few tips for parent and teacher coaches.
For parents:
• Use short learning sessions (15–20 minutes/day) with workbooks, flash cards, or game cards. A workbook like the 320-page Big First Grade, in conventional or spiral-bound format, makes it easy to go through skill-building in sequence or zero in on particular areas that need work.
• Focus on refreshing letters, numbers, and basic skills with game-like play. Flash cards like Phonics Made Easy, Addition 0-12 and Subtraction 0-12 are take-anywhere tools that make it easy.
• Encourage games over drills: use board games, flash card races, and matching activities like Old Maid Numbers Game Cards.
For teachers:
• Plan low-pressure review games for Week 1.
• Pre-assess with play-based or informal observations.
• Use School Zone’s Anywhere Teacher online learning program for ages 2-8 to supplement other lessons.
Social & emotional prep: big feelings, simple strategies
Social-emotional learning (SEL) is just as important in school readiness for kids as academic skills. Any back-to-school checklist is incomplete if SEL isn’t part of it for both parents and teachers. Here are a couple ideas that can go a long way.
For parents:
• How do kids feel about school? Ask them! Engage them! Role-play anything they express concern about, as well as school drop off and classroom routines.
For teachers:
• Plan and use a get-to-know-you activity that includes movement and drawing, to build a strong and positive relationship with students from day one.
First Week Survival Tips
An ancient Chinese proverb says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” True of virtually any endeavor, it certainly applies to the start of a new school year, which, for kids, has no visible horizon. It looks like infinity! The biggest help parents and teachers can offer is guidance and encouragement, but here are a couple specific first-day-of-school tips to make the start of the first week the start of a great journey.
Parents:
• Prep outfits, lunches, and bags the night before. Leave extra time for the first few mornings. Celebrate small wins, like walking into the classroom solo!
Teachers:
• Keep the schedule simple and predictable. Incorporate movement breaks. Smile! Kids notice your energy more than your lesson plan.
Remember: You’ve got this! Readiness isn’t about perfection—it’s about presence. And School Zone is here to support learning every step of the way. Start the year strong with tools that build confidence, at home and in the classroom. Explore School Zone’s back-to-school workbooks, flash cards, classroom resources, and learning apps.
