Easing your kids back into the school routine - DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG

Summer break is about to end for many metro area children as they get ready for the new school year. Whether it's a weekend or a week, there's still time left to ease your student back into an academic routine.

Dr. Kishina Woolfolk, a fifth grade teacher at Harbins Elementary School in Dacula has a lot to do to get ready for students.

"We're already here setting up early. Trying to get our room ready," said Woolfolk.

In between finishing her website and making name tags, she offered some tips on readying your child for the school year ahead. She says parents should start now to get their children back into a school routine.

"Move the bedtime back just a little bit or a few minutes each day. And then definitely in the morning, start getting them up a little bit earlier, so that on that first day of school, they're wide awake, they're excited and ready to learn," said Woolfolk.

Woolfolk says if you're child hasn't read from your school's reading list, it's not too late to start.

"I definitely suggest for parents that maybe they get a picture book for younger kids and they can read it as a family and talk about it. For older kids if it's a chapter book, get an extra copy. Read it with your child, talk about it, discuss it," offered Woolfolk.

She says children will resist jumping back into schoolwork, so make it fun by sneaking learning into everyday routines.

"You're cooking dinner and you mention to your kid, 'let's talk about fractions. What if we're going to invite a friend over and I had to double the recipe?' If you're in the car, 'this is how many miles per hour we're going, how much longer do you think it would be before you get there?'," said Woolfolk.

Woolfolk says if there's still time, get in a last minute vacation. Metro Atlanta has plenty of great places that will make learning fun, and wake them from the academic summer slumber.

"Maybe you could go to the aquarium and talk about ocean life. You could go to the zoo and talk about the classification of animals. That way the family is having fun, they're spending time together and the kids are getting eased back into the whole academic arena," said Woolfolk.

Woolfolk also advises that for your tech-savvy kids, have them prepare a multimedia presentation telling what they did over the summer. It beats the essays they usually have to write upon their return to school. For more information, click here!