Monthly Tip: Transitioning Back to School for Elementary Schoolers

Monthly Tip

April 2021

Transitioning Back to School for Elementary Schoolers

The COVID-19 pandemic drastically altered our lives. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the student population, who have engaged in virtual learning for almost a year. With the rollout of vaccines and increased public health measures, though, many students are preparing to return to the physical classroom. However, this shift comes with various changes to both home and school routines, as children and parents must adjust to this new situation after a year of developing and revising habits to make virtual learning go as smoothly as possible. Adapting to changes is challenging for everyone, but particularly so for elementary school students with executive functioning weaknesses, as they often find it difficult to manage new transitions. Some routines will need to be re-established, like packing their backpack, while others involve new elements, like remembering their face mask and hand sanitizer. While we expect the adjustment to take time, you can support your elementary school child’s executive functioning skills by identifying new or difficult routines and providing opportunities for practice.

Ideas for Routines to Practice

Many elementary school children may feel fearful at the prospect of their daily routine changing. They have adapted to a virtual learning environment that enables them to have easy access to the comforts of home, and returning to school may sound intimidating. To prepare your children for this transition, it is important to help them identify new routines they will encounter so that they can practice them ahead of time.

For School

Social distancing with peers. Many students struggle with personal space. After a year of virtual learning, many younger kids might feel the impulse to run and hug their friends or teachers without remembering that they are supposed to engage in safe social distancing measures. Before your children return to school, practice social distancing in various settings – different rooms in the house, the park – so that your children understand and adapt to the new distancing requirements. Depending on whether your children’s school opts to distance kids three or six feet apart, you can use tangible objects, such as standing in hula hoops or measuring tape, to help them visualize how much space should be between them and another person.
Wearing a mask. If your children have not been outside the home for an extended time, wearing a mask for an entire school day may be extremely challenging. They may find it uncomfortable and feel tempted to remove it. As your children prepare to head back to school, have them practice keeping their mask on for increasing periods of time to expand their tolerance. They can practice this at home so that they can receive positive reinforcement from a parent, and they can also practice this out in public, such as at a grocery store.
Adapting to new school schedules. Students have grown accustomed to their virtual learning schedules, so it may be difficult for them to shift to a new daily schedule that changes their class and eating times. When your children receive new information about what their school day will look like, review the schedule with them. Talk about the differences and similarities to the virtual schedule (e.g., class times, arrival, dismissal, etc.). They will adapt to the changes easier if they are familiar with their schedule and preview it ahead of time.

At Home

Morning routines. Getting out the door in the morning may be one of the more difficult routines to re-establish. After a year of moving from the bed to a desk/table only a few feet away, children will have to adapt to waking up earlier, picking out clothes, and leaving on time. To make the new morning routine go as smoothly as possible, it will be important to begin practicing this routine with your children a few weeks before school starts when there is minimal pressure to actually leave the house.
Unpacking and packing backpacks and lunches. Over the past year, students have grown accustomed to being at home for lunch and having all of their assignments online. While this way of operating is convenient, students will now have to re-establish routines for keeping their backpack organized. Once again, physical papers will need a specific place to be stored in the backpack to ensure they do not get lost and your student can turn all assignments in on time. To prepare for this transition, make a checklist of items that need to be placed in the backpack, including notebooks, lunchbox, pencil case, face masks, and hand sanitizer. For items that can be packed the night before, have your children check off each box to keep track of what they still need to pack in the morning. When your children return home from school, they should remove their lunchbox and place necessary school items in their workspace before they start their homework.
After-school routines. For the past year, many elementary school children were not assigned homework; after sitting in front of a Zoom screen for several hours, they were free to spend their afternoons the way they wanted. A return to in-person classes means a likely return to homework, so re-establishing after-school schedules will help your children manage their time effectively. When they return home, they should create a schedule with dedicated blocks of time to homework, snacks, and breaks. By doing so, they can complete their work efficiently.
Sleep schedules. Many students have been on a different sleep schedule throughout the pandemic. If your children are used to going to bed later because they are able to sleep in, you can start incrementally adjusting bedtimes to ease the transition. Additionally, your children can practice waking up earlier in order to feel prepared to handle early-morning wake-up calls when they return to school.

How to Teach Routines

In order for these routines to be effective, there are several steps you and your children can start taking now.

Use visuals. Create a visual to-do list to remind your children about the routines they should follow. These sorts of to-do lists show the tasks that need to be completed and in what order, which can make it easier for children to remember what they are supposed to do. If you use images to reinforce a routine, they should be placed in the space in which your children complete that routine (e.g., hand washing visual should go into the bathroom).
Dedicate time to practicing these routines. At first, do not expect your children to successfully follow new routines on their own. Adapting to change is difficult, and they will need the patience and assistance of their caregiver, parents, or older siblings. Dedicate time each day to practice these routines, and remind your children when they should be using them (e.g., washing hands when they get home from school). With repeated practice and support, your children will become more independent and feel more confident returning to school.
Explain why these routines are important. Children will be more likely to “buy in” to a routine if they know why they are doing it. Instead of framing these routines as “something you need to do,” explain to your children that they are keeping themselves, their family, and their classmates safe. In fact, they are kind of like a superhero! Having open, age-appropriate conversations with your children will help them know they are not alone and that going back to school is an adjustment for everyone.

Final Thoughts

After spending many long months at home with virtual learning, the transition back to in-person learning can be challenging. Many children may feel nervous about going back to school and being apart from the at-home conveniences they have grown accustomed to. By establishing routines and knowing what to expect from this new situation, children can alleviate some of their anxiety. If you would like additional suggestions, please reach out to your Educational Mentor or Speech-Language Pathologist for support. Thinking Organized is here to help!

Summer 2021 Programs - Registration Open!

Summer is a time of relaxation, but it is also a time of preparation. By reviewing past academic material, students can keep their skills sharp while simultaneously preparing for the upcoming school year. Thinking Organized is offering several exciting programs for students in different age ranges this summer, and we cordially invite you to sign your children up for them!

Please refer to our programs for elementary school, middle school, high school, and college on our website.

TO BLOG

Spring Break Has Officially Come and Gone. Now What?

By Colette Hapi

Whether your children are in their first year of middle school or their last year of high school, the end of spring break is always a bummer. That short week free from academics flies by, and students tend to feel unmotivated as they return to school. You might even say that they contract “summer fever” as the end of the school year approaches and they begin to slack off and lose interest in school work. Now that spring break has come and gone, it’s time to saddle up for the last stretch! Here are a few things you and your children can do to finish out the year strong.