Back-to-School Tips: Coronavirus Edition

As the world begins to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, some schools are planning on reopening for in-person learning for the 2021-22 school year. While many families and students welcome the return of in-person learning after more than a year of virtual classes, the readjustment to in-person learning may not come so easily. Here are several back-to-school tips to help your young student readjust to school after coronavirus so that they can make the most of the upcoming academic year.

Keep (and Use) Your At-Home Classroom Set-up:

You may have bought furniture like desks or easels for your kid’s at-home classroom while schools were closed. While your kid may be transitioning back to in-school classrooms, don’t put away your at-home furniture just yet! Having a desk at home gives your young student a space to focus on homework and avoid distractions. An easel is an excellent tool to work on creative projects or brainstorm. A table for your child is a great place to sit down with your child and review subjects. Playroom sets are going to be especially useful for helping your kid unwind after a long day at school. As the school year progresses, you’ll find even more uses for your at-home classroom furniture, so make sure you make the most of them!

Encourage Your Child to Talk to Others

While pushing your kid to talk to their peers and meet new people is important every school year, it is especially meaningful after a year of little to no face-to-face interaction. Unfortunately, remote learning may have hurt your child’s social life, so encourage your kid to make the most of this year’s back-to-school by talking to others and catching up on the past year—after all, your child is finally able to meet their classmates in person again.

Let Your Child Know Help is Available

This year’s back-to-school transition isn’t going to be easy for your child. Make sure your kid knows that there are a multitude of resources available to assist with their transition. Many school districts have added more social workers and support staff so that your child always has an adult they can talk to at school. At home, make sure you are available for your child to talk to about their day. Listen to the problems your kid may encounter at school and work with them to devise a solution. Give your child time and know that their grades in the beginning of the school year may slip as your young student is slowly getting acclimated to their new environment.

Understand that this year’s back-to-school transition isn’t going to be the norm—the environment your child will enter in the fall is going to be different from the environment they left. But with time and patience, we’re sure your young student is going to have a successful school year.