Start the school year off right, eliminate study-stress and bring on success!  The study experts at Thinking Caps Tutoring in New York City bring you the best advice on how to kick off the school year on the right foot.  Lousy test scores and dismal report cards?  Constant fighting to get homework done correctly? With back-to-school around the corner, what can parents do to ensure this September starts off on the right foot?

Alexandra Mayzler, co-author of Tutor in a Book (Adams Media, 2010) and Director of Thinking Caps Tutoring, brings parents easy-to-use strategies to start off the year with great study habits and better grades.  Based on the methodology of Thinking Caps, Alexandra can show you and your children how to get in the right study-mindset before the school year begins to prevent study-panic later. Starting the school year off right involves:

• The right materials: have sharpened pencils, scratch paper, erasers and highlighters ready for action. Getting up to sharpen a pencil can lead to a big distraction so it is best to avoid getting up other than breaks.
• A functional study space: is there room to work? If your child piles folded laundry on her desk that doesn’t leave much space to spread out books.  Studying can happen just about anywhere, as long as the location is consistent and your child can concentrate.
• A plan of action: help your child create a study routine. Help her learn to make a to-do list and check off assignments and tasks as they get accomplished.  Break down assignments into time frames and make sure to encourage short breaks for a battery recharge.

So many kids today have anxiety when approaching the new school year; whether it is that a student struggles academically or just needs to have his study skills strengthened Alexandra brings easy-to-use methods to start the school year off without stress:

Organizational tips

• Study strategies that work for your child
• Ways to promote strong studying all year long
• Tips for parents to help their kids

Alexandra regularly contributes articles to various parent and educational websites and she is on the board of the New York Division of the National Dyslexia Association. Her work has been featured in the New York Times. ThinkingCapsTutoring.com