Calendar Countdown – Get out a clean calendar and mark the first day of school. Back up two weeks and begin listing key activities like school-supply shopping and haircuts on the even days. Let kids pencil in their wish list of last-minute summer fun on the odd days. Save the weekends (if you can) for family outings like going to the fair or camping.

Organize for Learning – Dust off study areas and air out the backpacks. Gather essentials like pencils, notebooks and calculators. For younger learners, do a refresher of some of last season’s lessons by testing their reading, writing and math concept skills. A trip to the library is also a good way to ease back into learning.

Early to Rise – If you’re not already setting the alarm clock for the kids, doing so will help them get into the routine of waking up early. Getting up earlier will also help them get adjusted to an earlier bedtime. Try setting the alarm 10 to 15 minutes earlier each day until the normal wake-up time for school is reached just before the first day of school.

Breakfast Fuels Kids for School – You probably don’t need convincing that a nutritious breakfast is great for kids. It’s the fuel that kids need to help them concentrate and stay alert.