PBS KIDS Tips for Back to School

Help Children Ease Back Into the School Year With PBS KIDS®!



PBS PARENTS Experts Share Tips on Getting Kids and Parents Prepared for the New School Year

Starting the school year can be a time of great excitement... and anxiety. Help calm your child's fears with these teacher-approved hints that will get everyone ready for the big day:

Ease into the routine. The start of a new year can be stressful - practice your routine a few days in advance.

Ask your child compelling questions. Specific questions help children picture what school will be like.

Describe what will happen on the first day. This will help ease nervousness or confusion.

Tool up. Obtain the class supply list and take a special shopping trip, letting your child pick out a few special items.

For more helpful tips, visit PBSPARENTS.org. And check out the new Back to School channel on the PBS KIDS GO! Video Player (PBSKIDSGO.org/video) for
curriculum-based clips from ARTHUR, THE ELECTRIC COMPANY, MAYA & MIGUEL and more to
foster learning!

Get your child back into the school groove with THE ELECTRIC COMPANY! Here are some suggestions from PBSPARENTS.org to keep the literacy learning going even out of the classroom.

Create a cozy, comfortable reading space with your child. Set rules for this area in your home to maintain peaceful reading.

Let your kids catch you reading. Talk about what you read in newspapers, books, and magazines with your children so they understand the importance of reading.

Encourage your child to read aloud at home. Your child will learn to read with expression and understanding while sharing stories with you – and siblings and grandparents, too!

A trip to the grocery store can reinforce reading skills. Have your child write the grocery list, find the items using the store's signs, and read product labels — you can also encourage healthy eating.

The weather is still HOT when the school bell rings, so COOL off and turn your kitchen into the next “Super Fab Lab” with Sid the Science Kid and this fun science experiment!



My Ice Pops!

Materials
ice cube trays
your kid’s favorite fruit!
heat and moisture safe dishes with sides
freezer

Procedure
1. Put one piece of fruit in each section of the ice
2. Cover with water and put into freezer
3. Check regularly to observe how long it takes to freeze
4. When frozen, remove and turn the cubes onto the dish. Observe what happens to the
water around the fruit.
5. Brainstorm and discuss ways to get the fruit out of the ice. What can you do?
6. Try some solutions – add warm water, microwave, or just wait.
7. Enjoy the fruit when the ice melts!

Check out PBSKIDS.org for more activities, tips and experiments from your favorites PBS KIDS shows!

There’s lots more to look forward to at PBS KIDS this fall….



Hop on board the fun and fantastical DINOSAUR TRAIN, a new daily CGI animated series for preschoolers that encourages basic scientific thinking and skills as viewers learn about natural science, natural history and paleontology through the adventures of Buddy, his family and friends – premieres September 7th!

Find more at PBSKIDS.org/dinosaurtrain