Requesting a change in your child’s classroom placement can be tough, here are some ideas to help get started.

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Requesting a Change in Your Child’s Classroom Placement

My daughter went from dreading to looking forward to her day at school. As a parent, I ho-hummed about requesting a change in her teachers, but then realized that speaking up for her needs at school was what I had to do. Now that we are half way through the school year, I am SO glad we did.

Read How to Get the Teacher You Want for next year!

How do You Know It’s Time to Request a Change to Your Child’s Classroom?

1. Your Child Doesn’t want to Go to School

The classroom placement for this year just wasn’t working for my grade school daughter. It started out ok. The new teacher was friendly, organized and enthusiastic. My daughter seemed to get along with her, but then things never really settled after the first few weeks of school. She was coming home frazzled, didn’t want to go to school, and was having a hard time making friends. It wasn’t like her and so we sat down and talked.

Some kids do not want to go to school for a variety of reasons from feeling frustrated with academic tasks to having friend issues. Talk to your child about what is making them unhappy. If they say, “I hate my teacher,” or “My teacher is mean.” Ask for examples. Keep in mind, you are hearing the kid-version of the story. E-mail or call for the teacher version.

Because of the grade levels schedule, my daughter was seeing one teacher for home room, another for reading, another for science and yet another for math. Add in all the special teachers (library, art, PE…) and she didn’t see one teacher for more than 90 minutes in a day. Which also meant, she didn’t see the same kids either. On top of that, she had to keep all her belongings in the homeroom class and stop there – like a locker- in between all the other classes. It felt like my 9 year old had the schedule of a middle schooler. When we really analyzed it, she had MORE transitions that a middle schooler.

My book-a-holic, straight A student hated school? WHAT? This mom knew, her daughters homeroom classroom needed to change.

2. You have scheduled a conference with your child’s teacher, made a plan, and things still haven’t gotten better.

The first thing we did was talked with the teacher about our concerns. She really listened and referred me to our school counselor. Because my daughter has a 504 plan, she arranged a meeting for her education team (all the teachers and school counselor) to discuss possible solutions. Even if your child does not have an IEP, Individualized Education Plan or 504 plan, you can always ask your school’s guidance counselor, curriculum director or principal to help set up a team meeting to discuss the educational needs of your child. (After the conference, plan, and no improvement)

3. A change in your child’s classroom placement should occur if your child’s learning is affected by a relationship with another child or adult.

This not getting along with a teacher, professional in the room, or peer may be causing inner turmoil. Looking at the facts, there are just times when 2 people do not work well together. It is my opinion that if a child does not feel emotionally safe at schools then we, as parents, must speak up and insist upon a change. I have seen parents remove children from the public school setting to homeschool due to these bad connections. Changing classrooms is always an option to consider too.

Don’t miss How to Write a First Grade Teacher Request Letter

What to do when Your Child’s Classroom Placement Needs a Change

Tips for Requesting a Change in Your Child’s Classroom Placement

• Address the issue with your child.  Do lots of listening.
• Address the issue with your child’s teacher via phone or e-mail.
• Schedule and in-person conference with your child’s teacher
• Make and follow a plan to solve the issue as a team (parent – child – teacher)
• Continue the dialog on a consistent basis. Do not wait weeks to let your child’s teacher know the current plan is not working.
• If the plan doesn’t work – Consider meeting with an extended education team. This team may include the guidance counselor, grade team leader, principal, curriculum director, behavior specialist, teacher, and parent.
• If it hasn’t already been brought to the table as an option, ask firmly, but kindly for a change in classroom placement. Can we consider changing my child’s classroom?
• As always, it is easier for me to sandwich the issue between positives. Say something nice about the current situation, then explain why it isn’t working and must change, then end with a positive, like how the new teacher will help your child do better in school.
• In our case, my daughter’s entire team of teachers was in support of changing her homeroom classroom teacher. We were lucky in the fact our issue was not related to having a “mean teacher.” It made it so much easier to say, “Mrs. E is very sweet, welcoming, and organized, but the way my daughters’ schedule is set up, it severely affects her learning with so many transitions. I would like to propose that she moves into ___ or ___ homeroom. This change would eliminate 6 transitions and add 25 minutes to her learning day. “

Additional Resources for Classroom Placement for Your Child

Keep your kindergartner’s skills sharp this summer and help prepare them for first grade with these hands-on, innovative learning games in our book, 100 FUN AND EASY LEARNING GAMES FOR KIDS. Turn off the TV and beat boredom blues with these clever activities that are quick and easy to set up with common household materials. Each of the 100 learning games comes with an additional 3 alternative ways to play, making this a resource with nearly 400 activities!

We have already started our back to school shopping. Luckily, our school has just published their school supply list for all the grade levels. As a teacher, I looked forward to all these supplies coming in. As a parent, I see this list with new perspectives.

How does your school’s kindergarten supply list compare?

How Does Your Child’s Kindergarten Supply List Compare?

My friend and I just had our annual – can you believe our kids school supply list conversation on the phone this afternoon?

The first school I taught at supplied all of our classroom materials including paper, pencils, markers, scissors, and crayons. We filled out a form and the school delivered it to our classrooms during pre-planning from their warehouse. If we needed more, we asked for it. The supply closet was stocked and all the kids needed to bring was their own backpacks.

As the years went on, the teacher supply closet concept ended and as a teacher, I was left to find supplies for 26 kindergartners with a $100 budget. YES. I was expected to purchase enough supplies (paper, pencils, crayons, glue, ect) for an entire year of projects for 26 young children with $100.

Needless to say, I went over budget because, well… kids need pencils and paper to learn and even with sales shopping and planning, paper and pencils alone for 26 kids for an entire school year come out to way more than $100.

You know that! Why? Because I’m sure your school supply list comes close to that amount – for 1 child.

Nowadays, parents are big contributors to classroom supplies. 

It’s hard on the budget these first few weeks, but so very important for kids to have the needed materials.

My Son’s Kindergarten Supply List

I just printed out our supply list for this school year. Thankfully, the stores have decided that it’s back-the-school sales this week, so we are going to be picking up some supplies. Unfortunately, it seems that most of the sales are for the brands not called for in our list.

Yes, the brands were specified on the lists we received.

As a teacher, my supply lists never specified brands, but I can understand why they do.  Some brands of crayons, for example, do not color as brightly or last as long as others. Rather than buy more than you need, choosing a brand that you know works better ends up saving time and money in the long run. I did shake my head a bit at the “pre-sharpened” pencils.

Sure, they save you a couple minutes of time, but is it really necessary????

Kindergarten Back to School List

Amazon affiliate links to products. Surprisingly, some of our supplies are less expensive (the sharpened pencils)  when ordering online and having them shipped to my door (I have Amazon Prime).

• 1 pack Crayola Ultraclean Fineline Classic Markers (10 Count)
• 1 pack Crayola Ultraclean Broadline Classic Washable Markers (10 Count)
• Crayola Crayons 24 Count – 2 Packs
• Elmer’s All-Purpose Glue Sticks, .77 oz, 12 Pack (E517) (not large)
• 1 pair of Fiskars 94917097 No. 5 Blunt Tip Scissors
• 24 Dixon Ticonderoga Pre-Sharpened with Erasers Pencils, #2, Yellow, Box of 30 (13830)
• 1 Backpack(NO ROLLING BACKPACKS, please)
• One Box of Facial Tissues
• $10 cash donation for miscellaneous classroom supplies
• Girls bring:
  • 1 container Clorox Disinfecting Wipes
  • Ziploc Double Zipper Gallon Storage Bags – 52 count(freezer type preferred)
  • 1 bottle Elmer’s Washable No-Run School Glue, 4 oz, 1 Bottle (E304).
  • 1 box Bandages
• Boys bring:
  • 1 bottle Hand Sanitizer
  • 1 Paper Towel Roll
  • 1 box Ziploc Double Zipper Storage Bag, Quart, 48 Count (freezer type preferred)
  • 1 container Baby Wipes

What is missing from the school supply list?

There are some things that we use every single day that are not included on the back to school supply list provided by our school.

1. Tennis shoes
2. School uniforms
3. Lunch Boxes
4. Lunch Box Containers
5. Cold Packs for lunch boxes
6. Water bottles
7. Small gift for the teacher

Yes – you read that right. Do NOT wait until teacher appreciation week in the spring to give your child’s teacher a gift. A gift card and a heartfelt note do wonders for developing strong relationships.

Sample Back to School Messages for Your Child’s Teacher:

Pack of kid-friendly stickers – I saw these in the store and thought you may find a good use for them!
$20.00 Gift Card to Target: I am so excited that ___ is in your classroom this year. I’m sure there are some extra things that you may need for your classroom and hope that this little bit helps.

$20.00 Gift Card to a local cafe/restaurant- Back-to-school is such a busy time of year. Dinner’s on us tonight!

A small basket of extra school supplies: Looking forward to a fantastic school year with you.

Do you have a wiggly kid that has a hard time sitting still? Take a look at the best school supplies for ADHD.

Where to find your child’s school supply list?

• Most schools have published their grade level lists on their school website and/ or Facebook pages.
• Pick up a paper copy at the front desk.
• Call the secretary and ask for the list.

You may also want to consider grabbing the best school supplies for ADHD.

How to Save Money on School Supplies during Back-To-School Time.

1. My number 1 money-saving back-to-school tip – Use what you already have!!!!!

Buy a decent backpack and keep re-using it each year. We encourage our kids to choose non-themed backpacks so they don’t outgrow the character. Items such as kid scissors can also be re-used year after year. They do NOT need to be brand new in a package!

2. Make a list and stick to it.

You don’t need all the cutesy extras – like a ruler snap bracelet or sparkly pencil toppers. Get the essentials. If your child really “wants” something special and it’s in your budget – choose ONE special item and have them keep it in their homework center at home!

3. Buy an extra set of pencils, markers, and crayons when they are on sale for you to keep at home.

Here are some additional tips for back to school for your child…

• Teaching Kids How to Be Responsible for their Backpack
• Back to School STEM Activities
• First Day of School Books
• Back to School Resources for Parents
• The Best Lunch Boxes for Kids

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Dixie. The opinions and text are all mine. This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.

Back to School Traditions – Friday Night Family Barbecue

I’d like to say that I made a fancy sign for them to hold on their first day of school (does holding up fingers count?) or made them a special first day breakfast (um – cereal?), but the thing is, our lives our busy and sometimes we just have to make an effort to enjoy more moments just with each other.

As life with a family of 5 gets hectic, I find that it’s important to stop stressing about the small things. (like how I look in the picture above after a full day of mommyhood and having a kid photographer)

The truth is, my kids do not need a “Pinterest Worthy” back to school picture in order to remember their first day of school. They will remember my smile after taking a goofy shot to send Grandma and Moms lingering embrace.

My kids do not need homemade cinnamon rolls or waffles topped with strawberries and whipped cream, although it does sound good.

My mantra this year is to stress less and enjoy the moments more.

What my kids need is – ME.

Without the stress of making picture-worthy events. Without the stress of rushing to clean up and do dishes. Without the need to impress anyone.

They need to have me in the moment, cherishing time with family. I’m lucky to have them in my life and need to take time during the busy moments to embrace the moment.

So in lieu of all the extravagant back to school traditions, we are kicking it back to the basics this year with an end of the first week of school Family Night Barbecue.

It didn’t take much planning at all.

Steps to Organize a Family Night BBQ for Back to School

STEP 1: Ask your family what they would like to eat on the grill.

STEP 2: Get the kids to make a table decoration.

1. Grab a piece of card stock
2. Fold in half.
3. Let them write the words and
4. Decorate it.

STEP 3: Assemble a tray with Dixie plates and silverware, vegetables, fruit, and any needed buns.

If you have more time you can also make a side salad using these simple recipes for Vinegar Coleslaw Recipe, Potato Salad, or Old-Fashioned Three Bean Salad.

STEP 4: Grill.

Doesn’t everyone grill and serve certified Angus beef filet mignons on paper plates?
(That way my choice! The kids wanted hot dogs)

STEP 5: Sit down and enjoy the meal.

My husband walked through the door just as I was setting the food on the table…

WHAT? Filet Mignon on paper plates???

You bet honey!  A delicious meal and no one’s doing dishes tonight

STEP 6: Talk about your first week of school

• What are your classmates’ names?
• What is your favorite subject to learn about so far?
• What do you hope to learn this year?
• In 3 words, how would you describe your first week of school?

STEP 7: Then clean up! Which takes only a few seconds!

STEP 8: GAME TIME… because we saved time on clean-up using Dixie Plates – we were able to play a game of Spot It before snuggling up with a good back to school book and heading to bed.

Back to School BBQ Ideas

• Steak and Mango Salsa Flatbread
• Healthier Potato Salad
• Kale and Orzo Pasta Salad
• Salad Bar Ideas
• Delicious and Easy Appetizers

Family Notes:

Although we typically use glass plates, it’s really nice to bring out the disposable Dixie products for a really quick cleanup. Back to school can be hectic and stressful. Those extra few minutes that would have been spent doing dishes were instead spent snuggling with kiddos.

It’s important to find the balance. My kids need me present in the moment. Family gatherings should be cherished and enjoyed by all!

Dixie believes nothing should interrupt family moments. Gather around your loved ones, linger a little longer, and be more here.

You may also enjoy these activities…

As a former teacher, and mom to 3 – I’ve gone through more than a few meet the teacher events. 

Here are some of the best Meet the Teacher Tips for parents.

We applied for our daughter to be enrolled at a local charter school with a healthy living focus. Unfortunately, we didn’t “win” the lottery in the spring. They called us the week before school started and with an open spot. We said “Yes!” 

Although I wasn’t excited about a full-day kindergarten, I was happy at the opportunities she will have. 

The school believes in educating the “whole child” and starts the day with Yoga, allows only healthy foods and gives children the opportunity to play.

Needless to say, we were all a little nervous. It was our first kid, first time in school, first time as a parent at a meet-the-teacher event. Luckily, I’ve done quite a few Meet the Teacher events as the teacher, so I knew a little bit of what to expect.

*Amazon Affiliate Link included in this post*

Meet the Teacher Tips: Making the Most of Meet the Teacher

1. Show up a few minutes early.

This will give you and your child a moment to take a deep breath, exchange a hug, and put on your happy faces.

2. Listen and only ask questions pertinent to the whole class.

If you would like to know the school’s daily schedule and the teacher didn’t talk about it – ASK.  If you want to know how the teacher will be able to keep your strong willed child focused and organized – SAVE this question for a private meeting either in-person or by phone.

The meet the teacher is a very general get-to-know you meeting and is NOT for 1:1 conferencing.

3. Sign up to volunteer.

I’ve got 3 kids and it is near impossible for me to volunteer in the classroom.  I always put my contact information on the list and offer to cut and prepare projects at home. I was sent home from Meet the Teacher with a stack of papers and asked to make these stars.

I love that her teacher was willing to welcome me into the classroom community in the capacity that I was able to handle.

4. Ask for the classroom wish list.

If your family is in a financially sound place, ask the teacher if there is a classroom wish list or supplies that need to be purchased for the classroom. Many times teachers purchase items for their classroom with their own pocket money.  

When parents can help out – teachers are able to do more science projects, hands-on art, and maybe even cook with the kids.

5. Take pictures of the classroom.

This may sound silly, but I like to take pictures of the classroom and print them out. We can make a home-made book with them and use the images to prompt discussions. These pictures also come in handy when you ask your child what they did all day.

I just take the class pictures out and ask her to point to the station she went to and have her tell me about it.

6. Take a picture of the class list of students

Take a picture of the class list that the teacher or school has posted. This is a quick way to help learn all the kid’s names as a parent and also be able to help your child begin to make new friends at school.

You can use it for making a Personalized First Day of School Book.

7. Find the Positives

There is NO perfect school. There is NO perfect teacher. I start at Meet the Teacher by looking for the positives and making a mental note of them.

Is your child’s teacher organized?
Did they smile when your child walked in the door?
Do they seem excited about the school year?
Is there something about the curriculum you enjoy?

Take note.

There will be things throughout the school year that are not “perfect.”

For example, I love the way that my daughter’s kindergarten teacher combines Montessori and Traditional Education. She is also the sweetest teacher and I feel like my baby will have many opportunities to learn and grow in a safe and caring environment. 

When I’m frustrated about something that happens in the classroom, then I will make sure to remember these positive attributes.

If you need to you can also Request a Change in Classroom Placement.

7. Talk about “meet the teacher” with your child

After you have the opportunity to attend Meet the Teacher, and talk with your child about it. Ask questions. Point out the positive things you noticed.

In addition to talking to our daughter about her new classroom, we also read stories about starting school. My husband and I have tried to answer her questions and talk to her about what kindergarten is like.

I think the best advice was when she asked her Papa, “What do I do if I miss Mommy and am sad?” His response was, “Cry!” I was a little shocked at his answer, but my daughter busted out laughing.

I don’t think either of us expected him to say cry. But he followed it up with an explanation, “If you are sad, it is OK to cry. Sometimes it may help you feel better and then you will have an awesome day.”

WOW – isn’t that the truth and I don’t think I could have given her any better advice. 

It is ok to be nervous. 

It is o.k. to have questions.  (both parents and kids)

Did I miss any Meet the Teacher Tips? Leave a comment below and let us know how your Meet the Teacher event went!

Are you looking for more back to school resources?  We recommend:

• Kindergarten Supply List
• Open House Tips for Parents
• Morning Routines for School
• First Day of School Books
• First Day of School Poem

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Creating Effective Morning Routine for School Days

Parenting an elementary school child is tons of fun! They crave independence, are helpful (most of the time), and can do many things on their own (like getting dressed, pouring cereal, putting their shoes on). BUT, my elementary school child likes to do things on her own time, which can cause some problems if you’re like us and need to be out of the house by a certain time.

Here are some helpful tips for getting kids ready for school in the mornings:

1. Plan ahead and have a routine. This will help to reduce stress and make the morning go more smoothly.
2. Lay out clothes and pack lunches the night before. This will save time in the morning.
3. Have a healthy breakfast. This will help kids stay focused and alert during the day.
4. Give kids plenty of time to wake up and get ready. This will help them avoid feeling rushed.
5. Be positive and encouraging. This will help kids start their day off on the right foot.

What My Elementary School Child is Like in the Morning

My 2nd grader is an awesomely creative kid, but not the highest functioning in the mornings. Our morning routines consisted of me making breakfast, getting all 3 kids dressed, teeth brushed, fed, and out the door.  I was giving way to many verbal reminders and there was just a feeling of stress all around, which isn’t a great way for anyone to start their day.

I felt like I was nagging.

She felt like I was nagging.

Our tone of our voices were not kind and loving.

Tears were shed.

When she was younger, we used to draw pictures to give her visual clues for expectations, on a whim one night last week, I made this checklist for her and set it on the table.

Using a Checklist for a More Effective Morning Routine

She woke up, trudged to the table, and slumped down by the empty bowl (I set as much out the night before as I can).  I could tell she read it because she moaned, “I need a pen.”  Chuckling to myself (I am a morning person) I handed her one. She set it beside the paper, ate her breakfast, and checked off that part of the list.

Then, she went to the bathroom and brushed her hair and her own teeth, ran to the sheet, and checked off that line. Continuing through the list, she didn’t once need a verbal reminder or fuss about any step.  It was AMAZING! She was ready and waiting at the door at 7:00 while I put her brother’s shoes on.

 In her sweetest voice,  she asked, “Would you please laminate the list so I can use it again tomorrow?”

Admittedly, our list isn’t the prettiest, but I think that is what makes it special!  She has used it consistently for a week with absolutely no complaints.  As we get better in our routines, I believe that she will rely less on the list, but it is laminated for her – just in case.

If your weekdays out-the-door routines are stressful – take time to think about what you can do to make them go smoother this weekend.  You could make a picture list for a non-reader, set clothing choices out the night before, write down a breakfast menu for the week, or even write a special message on your fridge to keep you in a positive mood.

Sometimes a little preparation on parents’ part makes a world of difference.

Now is the time for PARENTING WITH PURPOSE!

UPDATE: We have now used this morning checklist for 2 weeks. I have no idea what I did without it.  Although all of our morning routines are a little different – I made a prettier version to share!

What do YOU do to make your mornings a happy, non-stressful part of your day???

Are you looking for more back to school resources?  We recommend:

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As we head back-to-school this year, the topic of how to make friends once again becomes the focus of our character development conversations around the dinner table. Friends are an important part of our lives. They bring value to our lives in numerous ways.

As my children get prepared to start a new academic school year, we focus on remembering how to make new friends.

How to Make Friends

Although my children are extraverts, they have struggled at different times throughout their early childhood years with making and keeping friends (hey, I’m an adult and I am still practicing this skill of making new friends) 

These are our tried and true methods for making friends:

Tips for teaching kids on how to make friends.

1. Smile

Yes, this sounds so very simple, but our number one tip for making new friends is to “look friendly” to others – one way to do this is to smile. If you are in a classroom with 20 new children, a smile can be a ray of sunshine in your day.  If you are a little nervous about making new friends, a smile may give you a boost of confidence as it is a reminder that you are a kind and happy person that others want to spend time with.

2. Listen to what the other person has to say.  

This is a big deal in our house. We find that the kids are so excited to talk that they forget to listen.  We are practicing being a good listener:

• maintaining eye contact
• repeating back what we hear
• not interrupting
• asking questions about what the other person has to say

3. Be Yourself.  

My kids are funny, quirky and creative.  It is my hope that they find friends who value who they are on the inside.  It is important when making friends to be yourself. Not every child will connect with each other in the same way.  If you don’t like horses and someone asks if you do, do not pretend to like them. Be honest.  Your friendships will have a stronger beginning. *I find that the kids start to notice this more around 2nd grade, but some do earlier.

4. Ask others to play with you. 

My daughter had a really hard time making friends last year.  It was a new school and friendships had already formed.  She really felt sad about not having anyone to play with on the playground.  We practiced inviting each other to come play with us and she eventually starting asking children to come play with her on the parallel bar.

5. Say Hello and Good Morning.  

These words are simple and a great way to start connecting with others. Practice saying them at home prior to school. Make it part of your daily routine and soon your child will be saying them too. 

ACTIVITY: Write about Making Friends

Kids as young as toddlers can help write and draw about making friends. In fact, this activity is one of my favorite first week of school activities to do with kids from preschool to first grade.  You could illustrate several pages each day and combine them together at the end of the week for a delightful home-made book that children can re-read with family members.

CLICK HERE FOR ECE PRINTABLES including the Friends Can booklet

For younger children: limit the pages to 4.  Encourage them to trace 2 circles on each page to represent the friends.

For older children: allow them to complete the book independently.  Encourage them to write and label their drawings.

Learning Objective: Create a DIY book to represent being a good friend with drawings and words.

Focus Skills

• fine motor
• creativity
• writing
• early literacy
• book making

Materials Needed

• Scissors
• Stapler
• Crayons
• Copy of the Friends Can book. This activity is a printable available on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Directions to make the DIY Friends Can Book.

1. Print a set of Friends can booklet.
2. Stack the booklet in the order you want the pages to appear.
3. Staple the left side.
4.  Read the pages with your child. Let the child illustrate each page.

After I print the Friendship books out, I set them out in the writing center for the children to work on in small groups. Here is what our center looked like:

Each child completed their own friendship book.

If you are short on time, you could have each child work on one page, then assemble it to make a class friendship book as well.

I like that this activity allows for children to participate even though they are on different academic levels.

Toddlers are learning the vocabulary of friendship and how to use a variety of writing utensils. Their pictures may be mostly scribbles with some lines and circles forming.

Preschooler – Kindergarteners are forming bodies and faces. They are able to grasp more abstract concepts of friendship.  I would encourage children of this age to use a minimum of one color per age. If you are 4 years old, then 4 colors should be used. (this paper is still a work in progress). If they have forgotten important details of people, hand them a mirror and encourage them to double-check their illustrations of body parts!

Here’s an example of what Kindergarten writing looks like.

Grade Schoolers – are really past this book, but my oldest wanted to participate too. I never turn away a kid who wants to draw, write and read. These activities allow children to express their creativity.  For struggling readers, making a book for a younger child is a great way to provide opportunities for them to interact with text at their level without being “too young.” When having older children write alongside younger children, it also provides a model for them as well. Extend their learning by having them write a story in paragraph form about how to make and keep friends.

Picture Books about Friendship for Preschoolers

Reading books about friendship with your child is a great way to start a discussion on how the characters in the story made new friends. Ask questions during the story such as: What do you think ___ will do? How would you handle the situation?

Affiliate links included to books:

A Dance of Friendship (Angelina Ballerina) I love Angelina in that she is always such a kind mouseling. This book introduces how to deal with friendship and feelings of jealousy. Read more here

Franklin’s New FriendWhen the moose family moves in, Franklin is initially a bit afraid of moose because of his size.  When the two get to know each other, they realize that despite their differences, they become new friends.  Read more here

Learning to Be a Good Friend: A Guidebook for Kids (Elf-Help Books for Kids)This book is part of a series of stories designed to help children navigate through life situations.  A good springboard for parent / child discussions.  Read more here

Friends: Making Them & Keeping Them (American Girl) Geared for girls 7+, this book covers friendship issues common to grade school girls. Read more here

How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends? This story is a perfect introduction to SHOWING young kids how to play with dinosaurs, I mean friends. Geared for children ages 3-5, but would be enjoyed by older and younger children as well. Read more here

Llama Llama Time to Share This book is set in the cute rhythmic pattern of all llama llama books. It is set in a home environment, making it perfect for young children in a homeschooling setting. Read more here

How to Make Friends from the Teach ECE Education Blogger Team:

We are teachers, moms, and homeschoolers of young children sharing FREE resources to parents, teachers, and educators every Wednesday. Stop by any of our blogs for new lesson plans each week.

Here is our Preschool Schedule:

Find on social media using the hashtag #TeachECE

Role Playing How to Be a Good Friend by Mom Inspired Life
Songs About Friendship for Kinder and Pre-K by Capri +3
Teaching Kids About Friendship and Being a Good Friend by Raising Lifelong Learners
Making Friends: Teaching Kids to Learn and Respect Different Names by Munchkins and Moms
How to Play with Friends a Preschoolers Visual Guide and Game by Powerful Mothering
Helping Your Homeschooler Socialize by Still Playing School
Making Friends Even When You Are Homeschooled by Learning 2 Walk
Book Friends by Growing Book by Book
Tips for Helping Preschoolers BE a Good Friend! #TeachECE by The Preschool Toolbox BlogFree Friends Play Dough Printable by Life Over C’s
Working Together to Create a Classroom Community by Fun-A-Day!
Teaching Kids How to Make Friends by The Educators’ Spin On It

You may also find these guides helpful for Back to School…

Sending a Smart Kid to Kindergarten

Here are some commonly asked questions and a few thoughts on ways to help make your kindergarten year even more successful.

Q: My kid knows all their letter names and letter sounds. They are reading already.  Won’t they be bored when the teacher is teaching the letter names and sounds?

A – Yes, your child will be bored while the teacher is teaching the letter names and sounds. Sorry. There will be times when your smart kid will be advanced in what the teacher is instructing.

In most kindergarten classrooms, the teacher will begin the reading instruction time with a whole group lesson. This is the time when the children sing songs, participate in shared reading experiences, and learn academic concepts.

The curriculum builds in focus areas for children to develop phonemic awareness, phonics, comprehension skills, fluency, and vocabulary. While your child may be a strong reader already, the good news is that there are so many other things that children are also learning at the same time. These lessons will reinforce what they already know.

Additionally, there are numerous other things children are learning during whole group reading instruction time including:

• being respectful of peers
• waiting for turns to answer questions
• participating in group activities
• asking questions for clarification
• listening skills
• staying in your own space

What you can do:

1. Talk to your child about learning. Remind them that all children learn to read at a different pace.
2. Explain to them how to be a kind-hearted, respectful learner.
3. Model how to give positive encouragement to others when you can see they are trying their best.
4. Give specific praise to your child on effort and being able to navigate difficult tasks.
5. Ask the teacher how your child will be challenged at his or her own level. Keep an ongoing dialog with your child’s teacher throughout the year.
6. Attend all parent-teacher conferences.
7. Remember that there is more to kindergarten than learning to read!  Focus on a different area of learning that you would like to see your child become stronger in: writing is always a good one!

Disclosure Affiliate links used to Amazon. 

Q: If my child already knows everything on the kindergarten standards – how will they be challenged?

A – There are a few schools that have ability grouping for kindergarten or gifted programs. These programs pull academically gifted children out during the learning day for a small period of time. Traditionally, most kindergarteners are not screened for giftedness until the end of the kindergarten school year.

Most kindergarten classrooms however use small group instruction to meet the needs of different ability levels. That means, that during the children’s work time, the teacher brings small groups of students to a work area and instructs them on a topic that is at their instructional level. One group may be working on letter sounds while another group is working on reading sentences.

If you want them to be “challenged” I would strongly recommend enriching the school curriculum with learning activities after school.  Your child can have an amazing teacher, but there is just honestly not enough time in the day for them to do it all.

What you can do:

1. As the school year begins, give them little daily challenges on your way to school such as: find a word around your room that you didn’t know. Sound it out and tell me what your new word is when I pick you up.
2. Plan an educational field trip each week with your child. Visit the museum, zoo, park, botanical gardens, inventors museum, grocery store, local event, or art fair and learn within your community.
3. Schedule in science, engineering, and art challenges into your child’s day.  Start an art journal and explore famous artists through a variety of mediums, set aside one day of the week for super cool science.  Bake or sew with your child.
4. Hire a tutor or enroll them in an afterschool program that will enrich their daytime learning.  Maybe they can learn French? Delve into coding? Play chess?

Q – How can I keep my smart kid from seeking attention through negative behaviors? 

A –  This is a tough question and takes careful planning and teamwork between the teacher and parents. There are really two issues at play in this question, keeping the child intellectually challenged and socially navigating the classroom dynamics when there is no challenge.

I have had some awesome kids in my classroom that were highly intelligent but quickly became disruptive, attention-seeking students.  They were the students who craved a brain challenge to maintain intellectual stimulation throughout the day. As with each student, a teacher’s job is to find out what their needs are and how to best meet those needs within the classroom.

Think about the strategies that you use at home to help your child navigate the world. Are there special challenges (Sudoku? Chapter books? Riddles?) your child enjoys?  If so, let your teacher know this.  Ask the teacher if they would mind if you purchased and sent in some extra challenges for your child to have available when they completed their classwork.

Communication between school and home is vital to coming up with a good solution to attention-seeking negative behaviors!  Make sure to be open to new ideas and approach each day with a positive attitude.

What you can do:

•  Ask the teacher to meet before school begins (or within the first few weeks) to discuss ways that you both can work together to enrich your child’s education. E-mail or phone calls work good as teachers are really busy during back-to-school time.
• ALWAYS send your child to school with a book to read.  My daughter always had a chapter book in her backpack.  Encourage them to read when time permits.
• Purchase a workbook that is at your child’s independent reading or math level that will provide them with intellectually challenging work when needed. Keep this in a desk or work area.
• Come up with a plan for how a child can receive positive attention. This may be a little hand signal, a picture cue card or a special place in the room.

Here are some of the books we have used in the past. Why 1st grade? because K is probably too easy for your smart kindergartener.

Your child may also enjoy these activities…

Keep your kindergartner’s skills sharp this summer and help prepare them for first grade with these hands-on, innovative learning games in our book, 100 FUN AND EASY LEARNING GAMES FOR KIDS. Turn off the TV and beat boredom blues with these clever activities that are quick and easy to set up with common household materials. Each of the 100 learning games comes with an additional 3 alternative ways to play, making this a resource with nearly 400 activities!

We scoured the piles of over 100 coats with no luck. 

Then surprise… my son remembered he left it on the school playground. We boogied out with our fingers crossed. PHEW, it was thankfully still laying in the dirt where he had left it.

But not everyone is as lucky…

Disclosure: Amazon Affiliate links included in this post.

How to stop losing things at school.

Missing items is an issue in every school. Has your child lost one (or a few) Jackets? Sweaters? Hats? Water bottles? Lunchboxes? The lost and founds are overflowing this time of year, so I know I’m not alone. Read on to see what teachers are doing to help your child and what you can do at home to help your child stop losing things at school.

What “most” teachers do to help children stop losing things at school.

The good news is that most classrooms already have routines and procedures in place to help your child to stop losing things at school.

Everything has a place.

At school, children have a special place to hang their coats and backpacks.  In schools with lockers, students may share or have their own locker to keep outside gear in.  In classrooms with no lockers, some teachers use a bin system, coat racks, or cubbies for each child or pair of children.  The teachers teach children at the beginning of the year how to begin their day by taking care of their belongings.

Most rooms have lost and found items storage areas.

Having taught in 5 different schools, each school also had a centralized area in which lost and found gathered.  This place is usually in a public meeting area such as near the cafeteria or office area.

Teachers routinely try to connect missing items with their owners.

They first check for a name written on the coat.  If it is, then they may ask the student to put it back into their cubby.  If there is no name on the item, a teacher may ask the class, “Who’s jacket is this?” As a teacher and as a volunteer in my own son’s classroom, I have witnessed an entire class not know who’s coats, water bottles, lunch boxes ext. are in their own classroom’s lost and found. (I promise they did get there somehow!)

Don’t miss these fabulous parent tips on how to write a placement letter.  A sample letter is provided for you to use and change to fit your own child.

What to do if your child has already lost something at school?

1. It happens to most kids at least once in their school years.  The best place to start is by taking a deep breath.
2. Talk with your child. Find out if they remember the last time they had on the item.  Walk through the day with your words. Ask questions such as, “What happened next?” or “Where did you go afterwards?”
3. Send a quick e-mail to your child’s teacher.  FYI – We are missing a (color) (size) (brand) (item name). If you see it, would you please set it aside for (your child’s name).
4. Stop by the classroom in the morning. Check the lost and found. Then, check the grade level lost and found. Finally, check the school lost and found. Yes, most of the schools I have taught at had lost and found areas in all 3 places.
5. Repeat the above stops 2 days later if the first day was unsuccessful.  Notify the office. Some keep a list of missing items.

What to do if your child can’t stop losing things at school?

So losing something at school may happen to any kid, but what do you do if it becomes a routine?  Try one or all of these ideas!

• Create a place at home for your child’s belongings and remain consistent that they are hung or placed there daily.  If the item is missing, start searching for it the next morning.
• Develop routines to teach children how and where to store small items such as hats, gloves, and scarves. Many parents teach children to put gloves and mittens inside a hat. Then the hat gets placed inside the coat sleeve. Do this EVERY TIME.
• Buy LESS.  Yes, this may seem counter-intuitive, but when your child has just one jacket, they know what it looks like and they MUST BE RESPONSIBLE for it.  (Mittens are an entirely different issue as they are small and truly get lost easy.  I recommend buying 2 of the same pair. You can’t go wrong with having extra mittens.  Plus, if you do lose one, you can still make a pair.
• LABEL LABEL LABEL.  If you truly would like to see your kids items again, take a permanent market and write the initials on the tags. You could get fancy with pre-made sew on labels, but a simple sharpie is really all you need. Want to get fancy, try Amazon’s best selling no-iron clothing label —- click here for current pricing.

You may also like these school related articles here at the Educators’ Spin On It

Turns out, young children can be responsible for a lot!

Starting with their very own school bag!

Teaching Kids How to Be Responsible

That’s right. Who packs their school bag?

From day 1, I have my kids (ages 2, 5, and 9) be responsible for everything that enters and leaves the backpack. This is their responsibility.

• We practice wearing it.  
• We practice unzipping it.  
• This year, we even had a discussion on how not to use it (must not be swung over your head or use as a slide down a piece of wood) 

Then I begin by teaching the children our household routines. Here is what we do:

1. Give the children ownership over their school bag.  Allow them to select the bag within reason.  We gave our children 2 choices X or Y, they got to choose one and use it until it wasn’t usable.

2. Write their name in the backpack along with the information you would like shared.  Some people add grade level or their telephone number as well.  Show your child what you are doing. Make sure they understand this is the only time the bag should be written on and that now everyone will know that it is theirs.

3. Let them pack their own back to school supplies and bring some of them to school in their backpack. Even the youngest learners are extremely excited to contribute supplies to the group.

4. If your child brings a water bottle or a lunch from home, set it up so that they are the ones who place these items into the bag.  In the hustle and bustle of busy mornings I have been known to toss a lunch box or water bottle in a child’s backpack, but for the most part, they fill their own school bag.

5. When returning home from school, make sure there is an area of your home to set backpacks down to be emptied. For us, this area is the hallway.  All three kids line up their backpacks and unload the contents. Notice I said the CHILDREN unload and take care of the contents.

6. Have children bring out any paperwork that needs to be signed and homework that needs to be done. Do both as soon as possible and return them to the backpack.

7.  Let children take out their school projects and hand them to you. Use this time to ask them about how they made it, what they learned, or what their favorite part of the day was.

8.  Prepare the backpack for school the next day the night before together. We pre-make lunches and keep them in the fridge and set empty lunch bags on the counter ready to be filled (I’m sure you guessed it – by they kids!)

*** Must of teaching young children responsibility is building up a routine.  Do it with them in the same way for several days. Then allow them to do it on their own with verbal queuing.  Soon, they will be responsible for their school bag and supplies on their own, even at 2 years old! ***

Teaching Responsibility to Preschoolers

For more Resources on Teaching Responsibility from the Early Childhood Education Team, we recommend:

• Teaching Responsibility in Preschool through Practical Life Skills via The Preschool Toolbox Blog
• Teaching Responsibility: Use a Morning Routine Checklist via Mom Inspired Life
• Morning Routine Chart for the Preschool Classroom via Fun-A-Day
• Teaching Responsibility: Simple Daily Routine Chart for Kids via Learning 2 Walk
• Using Group Goals to Teach Responsibility in Kindergarten and Preschool via Capri + 3
• Teaching Kids to be Responsible through Literacy Activities via Growing Book by Book
• Responsibility Interactive Mini-Book and Memory Game for Preschoolers via Life Over C’s
•  Homeschool Lesson Plan Checklist via Still Playing School
• Teaching Children How to Be Responsible for their Own Backpack by The Educators’ Spin On It

If you liked this activity, you may also like these ideas for preschoolers…

We all have feelings. Now’s the time to bring them out, talk about them, and address the excitement and fears (both yours and your children’s)

It doesn’t matter if your child will be preparing for School Brings Mixed Emotions for both Parents and Children

• starting preschool for the first time,
• is headed off to their first day of kindergarten,
• or will be starting their homeschool curriculum.

Preparing for school sets off a mixture of emotions for both parents and children. Know that your emotions during the preparation for back-to-school time may run on overdrive. Reach out to family members and friends to share your excitement and discuss any concerns you may have. You are not alone!

My friend said it best: “I am excited and sad at the same time”

The kids may be feeling some of the same emotions. Make time as you are preparing for school to address these feelings together.

Where we are this year:

This year, my almost 3 year old will be going to a traditional preschool classroom 2 mornings a week. I’ve never had any of my babies go to school this young, but we are butting heads big time and our family has decided 2 mornings a week with other kids may be just what he needs. The rest of the time he will be with me, doing “mommy school.”

My 5 year old will be attending kindergarten. He is thrilled to be going to school at the same place as his big sister. We keep reminding him that they will not see each other during the day. He says, “don’t worry, she will bring me to my classroom every morning.”  <tear>

My 9 year old will be entering 4th grade. Oh where did the time go. I’m already hearing the buzz about middle school. She’s a voracious reader with an advanced vocabulary and a thirst for knowledge.

I am not a homeschooler. We afterschool. Meaning, when my children come home from public school we play board games, do science experiments, go on educational field trips, sew, garden, read, write letters and do all the academic and life lessons we feel may not be covered to the full extent during the classic school day. 

For us, it’s the best of both worlds. We have friends who send their kids to public schools, private schools, homeschool, and even ones that unschool. No matter what school you have chosen, we hope you are finding it a good fit for your family.

Preparing for school can be exciting.

Yes, starting school is a new and exciting adventure for you and your child.  It’s O.K. to be giddy happy as you see what an amazing person your child is growing up to be and all the possibilities that the world holds for them. Preparing for school brings out new clothes, new backpacks, and new supplies. It’s an exciting new beginning for both you and your child.

We just got back from Target and my 5 year old picked out his own “big boy” backpack to use for the next few years. His little brother (2 1/2 latched on to a Paw Patrol backpack) He put it on and said it was his new back-pack for school.  My heart got so warm seeing them running through the isles all smiles for school and learning.

Share the excitement together.  Smile.  Talk about the new adventures your child will go on.

– I’m looking forward to helping you learn your letters this year.

 -This year will be a great opportunity to make some new friends.  Let’s make sure to plan some park playdates!

– You can draw a triangle, but I bet you will be able to draw even more shapes by the end of the year.

– My favorite class at school was math.  I can’t wait to see what your favorite subjects to learn will be.

Tips for children

• Ask your child what they are excited about.
• Let them select their own water bottle or backpack.
• Have them draw a picture of how they are feeling.
• Make up and sing a silly song:

Back to School Song

by Amanda Boyarshinov

To the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb

Fill your child’s name in for Sarah.

Change the backpack color if needed.

Switch the school supplies for additional verses.

Sarah had a blue backpack, blue backpack, blue backpack.
Sarah had a blue backpack she brought with her to school.
She filled it up with paper and pencils, paper and pencils, paper and pencils.
She filled it up with paper and pencils and took them all to school.

Really LISTEN to what they have to say.  Respond to their excitement. (Maybe even write it down, because that’s the stuff that you really want to remember when they are older, but may forget the exact way they said it. Here is the interview and writing prompts we use every year. )We also like to have a space to feature our children’s school work.  This display hangs up year round and helps us to keep the excitement going. Now would be a great time to set up this area with your child.

Preparing for school can be sad and nerve wracking.

For Parents:

I missed my child SO VERY MUCH the first day she went off to kindergarten. It was the first time we had been away from each other for more than 3 hours. She was the excited one, and I was the one missing her. She’s headed off to 4th grade and I STILL MISS her like crazy every day she is in school. Helicopter parent? Nope, I just love her from the tips of my fingers to the bottom of my toes and look foward to seeing her smiling face when she returns.

Now that my middle child is heading off to kindergarten, I’ve got the worries again.  Will he make friends. Will his teacher be kind and caring? Will she be patient and explain the same thing over and over until he gets it? Will he be happy?

It’s OK to be sad, nervous, and a little scared about what the future brings.

At one of the schools I taught at, the PTA (Parent Teacher Association) organized a Boo Hoo breakfast for all kindergarten parents the first day of school They knew that many would be missing their babies and be feeling a little sad. This breakfast provided opportunities for parents to connect with other families and led to longer friendships throughout the grade school years.

Even if your child’s school doesn’t organize a get together. Reach out to friends and schedule time to get together that first week of school and share your emotions.

Someways I almost worry myself to a stomach ache. Those are the days when I give my child a big hug and call my Mom or a Friend. I don’t tell my child that everything will be ok, because they are not always ok. I always reassure them that I am and will be there to help them navigate through life and that I trust they will make good decisions.

If your child is homeschooling, you may also have worries and fears too. Will my child miss out on school experiences? Will we find a group of families with similar views to share experiences with? How will I organize the year to cover everything we want to touch on? It may be harder to find time within the “school day” to find adult only time, but it’s important. Touch base with other homeschooling parents in these first few weeks of school.

For kids:

Grown-ups have sad feelings about back-to-school time, and so do kids.

They may worry about finding friends, new teachers, or even where to sit at lunch. Some of these worries are big worries and others are small. Make a point to really LISTEN to what they have to say. Respond to their fears or worries in a kid-appropriate way.

Tips for children heading off to school

• Do a routine walk-through the week before school starts.
• Pack a family picture in a backpack.
• Write a love note and put it in their lunch box. Even if they cannot read, they can see a heart or smiley face.
• Explain to them the new schedule, when and where they will be picked up.
• Show them the calendar and mark the day it is right now and when school starts.
• Give them a hug and tell them they can talk to you about anything.
• Read the Kissing Hand.

Preparing for School Activity

When I first started teaching kindergarten, we met with each kindergartner and their family prior to the first day of school. During that time, our team of teachers brought a little snack for the kids. It was a small bag with 26 teddy bear snacks 13 graham flavored and 13 chocolate bears.  We explained that the room was going to be filled with the same amount of children as there were bear snacks. With only one teacher, we talked about how to problem solve, get a teacher’s attention, and make friends.

You can do this activity with your child too.  Take any small snack that has 2 different flavors (Cheddar Bunnies have cheddar and pretzel) and count out the number of children that will be in your child’s class.  One color represents the boys and the other color represents the girls.  Thankfully, due to class size reductions, our early childhood classrooms are at 18! Although most classrooms are not an even 50:50 boy-girl mix, the little bunnies just help children get an idea of what to expect.

Once you have your small group of bears or bunny snacks:

• Count the snacks together.
• Explain that there will be the same about of children in the class as there are bunnies.
• Discuss how all the children (bunnies) would get from place to place. Line the snacks up in a single line. Yes it takes time!  It does in real life too!.
• Talk about how they might get the teachers attention if they needed help. (raising a hand is most commonly used)
• Pretend to have one bunny as another one if they wanted to play.

More Preparing For School Tips from the Early Childhood Education Team:

Back to School Tips for Parents PLUS Visual Morning Chart! by The Preschool Toolbox Blog

Starting Kindergarten-Books and Activities by Capri + 3

Make Back to School Books to Ease the Transition by Fun-A-Day

4 Back to School Tips: Preparing for School by Learning 2 Walk

Preparing for Preschool: Creative Center in a Box by Powerful Mothering

How to Plan for Preschool at Home by Mom Inspired Life

Supporting preschool learning at home by Rainy Day Mum

Setting Literacy Goals by Growing Book by Book

Preparing Busy Boxes for Preschoolers by Munchkins and Moms

Traditional Preschool or Homeschool Preschool or Both? by Still Playing School

Teaching Preschool at Home by Raising Lifelong Learner

Preparing for School Brings Mixed Emotions for both Parents and Children by The Educators’ Spin On It (HERE)

Prepare a Hands-On Preschool at Home by Life Over C’s

You may also find these back to school activities helpful…