ChiIL Mama's Top Tips for Getting Your Kids Ready to go Back To School

It's hard to believe that school is just around the corner.   In fact, we're in a "year round" Chicago Public school which means only 7 weeks of summer.   So THIS Monday, Sagezilla and Du-Jay begin their journey as 2nd and 4th graders.


Here are our top tips to prep for school:

1.   Rock The Reading:  This generation is extra lucky that there are a plethora of great books out there to help ease kids back into school.

We've kept the kids excited about reading daily all summer long, so the transition back to the books will be easy.   This week and last, we made the rounds of all the summer reading programs and collected our goodies.   We got great, free chapter books from Barnes and Noble  for reading 8 books. 

Then each kid got $3.00 store credits at Half Price Books Feed Your Brain Summer Reading Program, for reading at least 15 minutes a day for a week.

  

Tomorrow we're going by the public library to get our Reading is Artrageous T-shirts for reading 10 chapter or 25 picture books.


Then Thursday we're going to spend the day at 6 Flags--Great America Amusement Park.   The kids both get in free from completing their reading program.








Over at TwitterMoms there are excerpts and advice on back to school books, and links to win great Harper Collins titles.

It’s that time of year again, moms. It’s time for your children to go back to school. There’s no better way to get ready for this challenge than by kicking off the back-to-school season with brand-new back-to-school books!

For the first day of kindergarten or for the old pros of first and second grades, these books make going back to school a snap! This all-star line-up features your children’s favorite characters in sweet stories full of excitement, adventure, and discovery.

Click to learn about other back-to-school titles 

HarperCollins Children’s Books is one of the leading publishers of children’s books. Respected worldwide for its tradition of publishing quality books for children, HarperCollins is home to many of the classics of children's literature, including Goodnight Moon, Where the Wild Things Are, The Giving Tree, Charlotte's Web, Ramona, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, the I Can Read! beginning reader series and countless award-winning titles. HarperCollins Children's Books is a division of HarperCollins Publishers, one of the leading English-language publishers in the world.


Disclaimer:  I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms blogging program to be eligible to get a HarperCollins book set.  For more information on how you can participate, click here.  
  


2.   Label It:   What's in a name?   What's your name in?   Make sure it's in everything!   You don't want all those shiny new school supplies to end up in the Lost N Not Found Box.   ChiIL Mama recommends Emily Press Labels for ease of use, attractive design and reasonable price.




3. Check Out Free Check Ups:  Most schools require proof of doctor and dental visits.   Check on line in your area to see if there are free health fairs going on.   Many include free school supplies, free check ups, and dental exams to get kids ready for school.

****Share your tips on what you do to get your kids ready for school.   We'd also love to hear how you educate--whether you home school, go public, private, Montessori, Waldorf or other options.