Good Habits Start Young

*This article originally appeared on the General Mills Box Tops 4 Education Web site in September 2008.

Start your kindergartner off on the right foot with good practices and keep her on the path to continued success in school. Clinical psychologist Michele Borba, Ed.D., of Palm Springs, California, is a former kindergarten teacher and a parenting expert for The Today Show. She is also the author of 12 Simple Secrets Real Moms Know.

Borba says that in addition to getting a good night’s sleep and eating a healthy breakfast before school—skipping either one dramatically limits kids’ ability to focus—you can help your little one establish the following good school habits right now:

Develop a routine. As soon as your child comes home from school each day, ask her to put her backpack in the same place every day so it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. Notes from the teacher should have a designated spot, whether it’s in a basket by the door or behind a magnet on the fridge. “Help your child learn organization now, and you lay the groundwork for the rest of her school career,” Borba says.

Plan ahead. Make a calendar using pictures to show school activities such as library day or show-and-tell day. A visual reminder helps children know what to expect and how to plan.

Assign responsibility. Empower your child to take care of any homework herself by putting the supplies she’ll need in easily accessible spot. Once she’s done, have her put her homework directly in her backpack.

Introduce social skills. There’s more to school than learning the ABCs. At this age, kids need to feel socially secure before they can succeed in the classroom. Coach your child to say hello to the teacher in the morning and show him how to engage other kids.

“Kindergarten teachers say that social skills are actually more important than academics; children need to know organization, feel safe and have a positive attitude about school,” Borba says.