Back to School Dinner Questions

It’s back-to-school time, and sitting down and discussing the upcoming school year is a great way to share your expectations, hear your child’s goals and concerns, and get him/her geared up for the first day back.

A blogger at Huffington Post suggests having a “back-to-school dinner”: a meaningful conversation about school over dinner (or at another time) one-on-one, or two-on-one, with your child.

The keys to the back-to-school chat
Make sure the conversation is expected by your child (don’t spring it on him/her out of the blue), you can chat uninterrupted, and you really listen to what your child is saying. Heading into the conversation with a good set of questions can help too.

Try asking the following:
1. What are you most excited about in the upcoming school year?
2. What are you least looking forward to?
3. What do you see as your biggest challenge?
4. Are there any non-academic issues that concern you about the upcoming year?
5. What are your academic goals for the year?
6. What are your personal goals for the year?
7. How can we help to support you in achieving your goals?
8. Is there one general theme you need/want to focus on?
9. What will you do differently from last year?
10. Is there anything in particular that will help motivate or focus you?
11. Do you want to make any changes to your study environment that may improve or enhance your study habits?
12. What are your biggest distractions and how can we help you manage them?
13. How are you planning to prioritize your schoolwork and activities and how can we be of help?
14. Is there anything we can do to help you get/stay organized?
15. What’s the best way for us to keep a pulse on your schoolwork?

How do you plan to get your child in gear for the new school year? For more information about getting children ready for a more successful school year contact Reza Farahani at 201-962-7777 or Allendale@GradePowerLearning.com