Printables

Back to School Tips for Parents and Families to Start the Year Off Right

Take a deep breath, and get ready to start a fantastic new school year!

When back-to-school time rolls around, parents feel the pressure increase. This is especially true if your child is starting school for the first time, and you’re not sure what to expect. (Chances are, things have changed quite a bit since you were in school.)

No worries! We’ve put together a big list of the best back to school tips for parents and families, so you’ll be ready to go when that first bell rings. For the ultimate back-to-school game plan, pair these tips with our free printable back-to-school checklists.

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Tip:

Help your child get back in the educational swing of things by playing ABCmouse free online learning games, designed by experts for kids in preschool through second grade!

While they brush up on their academic skills, you can peruse this list and start prepping for the first day of school.

Back-to-School Tips: Routines and Schedules

Establish consistent school routines, and begin practicing them around two weeks before the first day of school. This gets kids into the habit and helps families work out any kinks before school gets underway.

1. Create a daily schedule, and review it with everyone. Visual schedules can help children (and parents) understand what to expect each day and prevent last-minute confusion.
2. Post and maintain a dry-erase board calendar to coordinate everyone’s long-term schedules too.
3. Establish a morning routine, encouraging kids to do things in the same order each day. This could include wake up, make bed, take a shower, eat breakfast, brush teeth, etc.
4. Start a school night routine as well: Lay out clothes, pack lunches, fill backpacks, and place them by the front door, and so on.
5. Establish a routine for kids to follow when arriving home from school: Hang up coat, take off shoes, put backpack in homework corner, change school clothes, have a snack, 30 minutes of screen time, homework, help with dinner, etc.
6. Rehearse transportation routines:
   • If your child will walk or bike to school, do several practice runs together to see how long it takes and plan for inclement weather. 
   • If you’re driving them, work out the timing and route (remember to allow time for the drop-off/pick-up line). Review with your child who is allowed to pick them up after school, and go over any backup plans.
   • Review bus schedules and visit your child’s bus stop. Discuss general bus safety rules.
7. Practice lunchtime routines. School lunches are often shorter and filled with distractions. Some kids even forget or run out of time to eat! Set a timer for 20 minutes and practice unpacking and eating lunch, then repacking the lunchbox. Remind kids that lunchtime can be fun and relaxing, but nutrition comes first.
8. To help routines stick, create checklists and slip them into plastic sheet protectors. Kids can check off the items with dry-erase markers as they complete them, then erase and start over the next day.

Back-to-School Tips: Healthy Personal Habits

Over the summer, sleep schedules tend to shift, mealtimes aren’t always regular, and kids spend more time playing on their own instead of following routines. It takes a bit to readjust once school starts up again.

Use these tips to start preparing kids in advance so they can maintain healthy habits during the year.

9. Adjust sleep schedules gradually: Shift bedtimes earlier a week or two before school to ease into the new schedule. You can do this by as little as five minutes a day to make things easier.
10. Plan meals together, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Strive to create menus that are nutritious and balanced, but also include things everyone will enjoy.
11. Don’t skip breakfast! Plan quick and healthy meals at home, or participate in your school’s breakfast program if available.
12. Teach your child to pack their own lunch. Very young kids can work with their parents, choosing foods and placing them in their lunchbox. By mid-elementary, kids can do a lot of this work themselves, including adding items to the grocery list when they’re running low.
13. Create a healthy snacks bin. Growing and learning makes kids hungry! Choose easy, healthy snacks together that they can enjoy, and set rules about them (no snacks one hour before dinner, no sugary snacks before bed, etc.).
14. Cut back on screen time. Your child probably had more free time for screens over the summer, but now’s the time to start cutting back to prepare for school-year limits. Tip: Reducing exposure to screens before bed can promote better sleep! 
15. Stay hydrated. Most schools permit kids to carry personal water bottles. Show your child how to clean and fill theirs, and remind them to drink regularly throughout the day.
16. Encourage independence and problem-solving. Involve your child in choosing their school supplies, creating routines, and handling tasks like dressing themselves and taking care of hygiene. They’ll be expected to do things on their own in the classroom, so help them prepare now by entrusting them to complete age-appropriate tasks and chores to get ready for back to school. 
17. Promote a growth mindset. Remind them that school will be full of challenges and things they don’t know how to do … yet. Assure them it’s okay (and expected!) to make mistakes—that’s how we learn. Recognize their resilience when they persevere, and celebrate their efforts along with their accomplishments.
18. Don’t be surprised when kids have more meltdowns than usual. Adjusting to new routines is exhausting and overwhelming at any age, and very young kids are still learning how to process their feelings. Hear them out, then see if they need more sleep, healthier foods, or some other type of support.
19. Talk to kids about emotions and mental health from an early age. Be sure they know who to ask for help when they need it and that their family will always listen and support without judgment.
20. Show your child how to set goals, like drinking a certain amount of water, reading a set number of pages, or spending a specific amount of time outside each day. Use habit trackers or star charts to help them stay on target.

Back-to-School Tips for Academic Success

Learning is what it’s all about! Here’s how you can provide your child support and guidance to help them succeed academically in the year ahead.

21. Create a space just for homework and study, somewhere quiet enough for them to concentrate but with help nearby if they need it. Keep all the supplies and resources there they need, to eliminate the distraction of tracking down materials.
22. When possible, try to set aside the same time for homework each day to make it part of the routine. Avoid the time right after kids get home from school, when they need room to relax and unwind (and may frequently have extracurricular activities), and don’t wait until right before bed either, or kids may have difficulty settling down to sleep. For many families, right after dinner is the perfect time.
23. Whether or not your child has homework, set aside time nightly to read together. Experts recommend at least 20 minutes a day of reading time.
24. For kids with a lot of assignments and activities to keep track of, show them how to use an academic calendar, planner, or scheduling app. The older they get, the more responsibility they should take for keeping track of what’s due when.
25. Remember: Your child learns at their own pace. Don’t compare them to yourself at their age, their siblings, or even to fellow classmates. Be patient, and allow them space to make mistakes they can learn from. Talk to your child’s teachers if you have concerns about their progress, and praise their efforts and improvements instead of focusing only on grades.
26. Check in with your child regularly to see how they feel about school in general. Try having a casual conversation with them on Sunday nights as you help clean out and reorganize their backpack for the week ahead. Make it a habit, and your child will feel comfortable sharing their concerns and achievements.
27. Don’t wait for report cards! Learn how to check your child’s progress in the school’s online portal, so you can catch and address any problems early.
28. Keep lines of communication open with your child’s teachers and school. Use the communication methods they prefer, and remember that teachers don’t work 24 hours a day, so you may need to be patient in hearing back from them. Involve your child in the discussion whenever you can, so they have a sense of ownership and autonomy.
29. As kids get older, encourage them to talk directly with their teachers if they have questions, problems, or concerns. Parents can advocate for their children while teaching them the importance of speaking up for themselves.

Back-to-School Tips: Build Excitement and Address Anxieties

Going back to school can be exciting and scary all at once! Make sure your child knows it’s okay to have all sorts of feelings about the first day of school and talk about them together.

30. Ask your child what they’re most looking forward to in school this year, and what they’re worried about or afraid of. Acknowledge their concerns, and help them see their challenges from new and encouraging angles. For example, if they’re worried about not knowing anyone in their classroom, remind them that it’s a chance to find new friends!
31. Read back-to-school books together. Books can help children visualize and understand the school experience, especially those just starting for the first time.
32. Role-play unfamiliar scenarios, such as asking for permission to go to the restroom, raising their hand to speak in class, riding the school bus, or talking to other students they don’t know yet.
33. Visit the school or classroom. Familiarizing children with the environment can reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed, and nearly all schools welcome families to visit ahead of time. Look for announcements about Meet the Teacher or Back to School events, or contact your school about the chance to visit quietly on your own if your child is very anxious.
34. If your child hasn’t seen their school friends all summer, try to arrange a playdate with a few of them to help them get reacquainted before school starts again.
35. Speak positively about school, learning, and teachers. Even if you didn’t love everything about school yourself, try to keep your attitude focused on the importance of education and how much fun school has the potential to be. Your child will take their cues from you, especially when they’re young, so set the right example.
36. Encourage your child to talk to older children about their own experiences with a school, teacher, or learning experience. They can offer real perspectives on what to expect, and get your child excited about what’s to come.
37. If your child is nervous about riding the bus or joining a carpool, try to find them a buddy so they’ll always have someone they know and can sit with or talk to.
38. Volunteer in the classroom if your schedule allows or make a point to attend school functions, such as conferences or fun school functions. Consider joining and participating in the PTA/PTO. Being involved in the school community can show support for your child’s education and help you get a sense of what their day is like at school, as well as meet their classmates.

Organizational Back-to-School Tips

Once the school year kicks off, it seems to go like a whirlwind! Staying organized is key to helping everything go smoothly. Try these tips and tricks.

38. Review the school calendar and mark key dates (like holidays or breaks) in your own personal calendars. Make note of regular or special early release days that can affect your schedule.
39. Create a family calendar to track school events, assignments, and activities. (A large dry-erase board calendar is ideal.) Hang it in a central location and review it regularly.
40. Choose a specific place in your child’s backpack where they’ll keep all the forms, flyers, permission slips, etc. they bring home from school. Then, designate a place at home where they’ll place these items as soon as they get home each day (such as a bin or bulletin board), and decide on a time when you’ll check and review them (right after dinner, for instance).
41. Post important flyers and reminders on a family bulletin board. Look it over each night, and clean it off every weekend to make room for new papers and ensure nothing is forgotten.
42. Create a “Launch Zone” by the front door where kids keep their coats, hats, shoes, backpacks, instruments, athletic gear, etc. Before kids go to bed each night, ensure everything they’ll need for the next day is in place, so they can just grab it and head out the door.
43. Use color-coded sticky notes (one color per child) to post reminders in highly visible places, like bathroom mirrors or even inside their shoes!
44. Organize school papers and notebooks by color: red for math, green for writing, orange for social studies, etc. (Some teachers have their own color-coded systems, so check with them first.)
45. Set aside some weekend time to plan and do meal prep as a family. Get everyone involved in making menus, creating shopping lists, shopping for groceries, and prepping things in advance

Back-to-School Preparation Tips

The days leading up to the first day of school are full of all sorts of important tasks. We’ve highlighted some of the most important here, but you can also use our ultimate Back to School Checklist to make sure you don’t miss a thing!

47. Attend orientation, meet-the-teacher nights, and back-to-school events, if offered. Bring a pen and notebook, plus any questions you have for the school or teachers.
48. Sign up for school newsletters, apps, and communication platforms, and follow school, teacher, and classroom accounts on social media.
49. Complete all registration and required forms early. These are usually available online in the school portal, so register there if necessary.
50. Check in with the school about immunization and health requirements. Make appointments for your child to see the doctor and dentist in the month before school starts.
51. As soon as your child’s school supply list is available, begin ordering or purchasing what you’ll need when prices are best. Watch for back to school sales and tax breaks, as well as charitable community events like Fill a Backpack.
52. Take a complete inventory of your child’s clothes and shoes for the fall season. Shop early for any needed school clothes, uniforms, and shoes.
53. Apply for the free/reduced lunch program, or load funds onto the school meal account.
54. Don’t forget to budget for school fees, which can add up. Contact your school to get an estimated amount, and use the summer months to save up for what your child will need.

First Day of School Tips for Parents

The big day is here at last! Use these tips to help it go smoothly, and don’t forget to capture the memories!

55. Stay calm and confident—even if your child is anxious. Sending kids off on their own is hard for many parents, but it’s important that your child sees your smiling face as they start their first day.
56. Prep breakfast, pack lunches and backpacks, and lay out first-day-of school outfits the night before. Put a checklist on the inside of the front door so no one forgets anything.
57. Plan some extra time the first morning, since everything is still a bit unfamiliar. This also gives you time for a first-day photo! (Consider making or printing out a “First Day of [grade]” sign for them to hold in advance.)
58. Tuck a special note, joke, or snack into their lunch or backpack for them to find later in the day.
59. Don’t get angry or impatient if kids cry or struggle. Provide reassurance, and promise that you’ll see them again soon and that they’ll have so much to tell you about their day.
60. Plan a special dinner or after-school activity to celebrate their first day. This gives even the most nervous of kids something to look forward to!

Looking for More Printable Activities?

See All ABCmouse Printables

There’s a lot to do when back-to-school time rolls around—it involves so much more than just buying a few supplies and seeing them off on the first day! As a parent, it can feel a little overwhelming and free printable back-to-school checklists can help make it more manageable. Print it out and post it on the fridge, then start tackling the items one by one. When the big day arrives, you’ll find you’ve minimized the stress and maximized the excitement!

Back-to-School Academic and Social Prep

In addition to all the shopping and to-do items on your list, it’s important to be sure your child is prepared academically and socially for the grade they’re entering.

Plan to spend at least a few minutes each day during the summer months reviewing and refreshing the academic skills they’ll need in math, reading, and writing. Perhaps even more importantly, teach and practice key age-appropriate life and social skills. 

These articles share insights on the various skills kids need for preschool through second grade and how you can help build them at home:

• What Age Should Kids Start Preschool? 
• What Skills Should Your Preschooler Have Before They Start School?
• How to Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten
• How to Prepare Your Child for First Grade 
• How to Prepare Your Child for Second Grade

ABCmouse programs and games are perfect for review and enrichment any time of year! Check out all of our free games for preK to 2nd grade, plus be sure to sign up for a free 30-day trial to explore the full program with your child!

Back to School To-Do Checklist for 2025

Tip: For preschoolers or kindergarteners who are still fine-tuning bathroom habits, this is the time to review skills like asking for permission to use the bathroom, wiping, and hand washing.

Tip: The first few weeks of school are loaded with learning and new experiences for kids, which can leave them especially tired. Having favorite snacks and meals planned can help make the days go more smoothly. Now is a good time to talk to your child about foods or activities they’ll look forward to so you have time to plan for the first week back.

Tip: Discuss school routines, such as wake up time and drop off and pick up times with your partner, co-parents, or babysitter to ensure they know daily schedules.

Back to School Shopping Checklist for 2025

Tip:  Consult your school or teacher for exact requirements before stocking up. Also, check your household office supplies or look through last year’s supplies to see what your child can reuse.

Coloring Pages

Mammals Coloring Pages for Kids (Free Printables)

Animal lovers will go wild over this collection of over 300+ free printable mammal coloring pages for kids! These pages feature an extensive selection of beloved animals, including everyday favorites like dogs, cats, and horses, woodland creatures like bunnies and foxes, and more unique creatures like sloths, dolphins, and llamas.

Each featured group allows you to print the entire collection of animal coloring pages or pick and choose your favorites to print out individually. Either way, every page is free to download and print as a fun activity for kids at home, in the classroom, or on the go. Be sure to check out our ideas to extend learning about mammals at the bottom of the page.

A Group of Mammals

A Bunny Rabbit

L is for Lion

Crowd of Mammals

Small Cat Jumping

Mother and Baby Elephant

Group of Mammals II

Bear

Sloth Hanging

Find even more mammal coloring pages below!

Bears

Dog Coloring Pages

Fox Coloring Pages

Lion Coloring Pages

Bunny Coloring Pages

Dolphin Coloring Pages

Horse Coloring Pages

Polar Bear Coloring Pages

Cat Coloring Pages

Elephant Coloring Pages

Llama Coloring Pages

Sloth Coloring Pages

Learn more about animals with ABCmouse!

Marvelous Mammal Activities

Recommended for: Kids of all ages

Looking for More Coloring Pages?

See All ABCmouse Coloring Pages

Printables

Preschool Alphabet Crafts and Letter Activities

Make learning the ABCs a blast! These A–Z crafts and activities turn every letter of the alphabet into hands-on fun.

Each letter craft and activity is designed for preschoolers and kindergarteners to complete with adult supervision.

A to Z Crafts and Activities for Preschool and Up

Select a letter below to see simple crafts and activities that will help kids enjoy learning its shape and sound.

More Free Alphabet Activities & Printables

Looking for More Printable Activities?

See All ABCmouse Printables

Differentiating Instruction and Engaging Families with Technology

Julie Choudhary, a 25-year-veteran kindergarten teacher, returned to her hometown of Escondido, California, to teach in the public schools in 2002 because of her commitment to the community. Escondido is a city of 150,000 in inland Southern California; its population is approximately 50% Latino, with a significantly lower median household income and higher poverty rate than the rest of the state. Julie’s students are primarily from low-income families and learn English in her classroom.

2011–2012: Differentiating Instruction

During the 2011–2012 school year, one of Julie’s students repeatedly requested she bring ABCmouse.com Early Learning Academy into the classroom, and Julie explored it for the first time mid-year. “It took me five minutes to register my class. And it was the easiest and most worthwhile thing I’ve done.”

Julie introduced the comprehensive early learning website to her class primarily as a language model. “It was fascinating. I would have students who were almost non-verbal using scientific or social studies words that I wouldn’t think a five-year-old would use.”

Julie assigned every child an individualized lesson on ABCmouse.com each day, according to the areas of need indicated by a standardized assessment administered at the beginning of the year. “They have to do one complete lesson every day. And then they’re allowed to go to their bedroom or their hamster on ABCmouse.com and to use their tickets and go shopping. Because that’s exciting to the children . . . .”

Julie discovered that she could differentiate her instruction with ABCmouse.com’s Lesson Builder, which allowed her to select and assign specific learning activities for individual students, groups of students, or the entire class. Julie attributed her students’ success on the end-of-year assessments to her ability—using ABCmouse.com—to meet their individual academic needs.

2012–2013: Engaging Families

The next fall, Julie began a one-to-one iPad program and opened up her classroom before and after school for students to use ABCmouse.com.

Not only did the students in her class come to learn on ABCmouse.com, they also brought their parents and their siblings to use the website. Julie had found a unique way to engage families in the education of their children through technology, demonstrating that educational technology has the potential to open the virtual doors of the classroom for parents and foster a dialogue between teachers and families.

Julie discovered that the website’s capability of providing all navigation options and instructions in Spanish helped parents understand what their children were learning in school and exposed the entire family to English vocabulary. “The parents are learning to speak English and to read and write, sometimes for the very first time, right along with their children.” Speaking about one student’s parents, Julie said:

The impact was remarkable. Parents began initiating conversations with Julie about their children’s educational progress. The students were staying on task and focused. “I have twenty-five little bodies and twenty-five different things going on in the room. At the computers, the kids have their headphones on; they’re all engaged. They might be talking or singing back at the computer but they’re all focused and doing exactly what they need to be doing.”

Impact on Student Achievement

At the end of 2011–2012, her first year using ABCmouse.com, Julie was surprised by the impact of the website on her students’ achievement. “Their letter naming fluency and their concept of sound fluency increased significantly as the year went on.” Overall, Julie’s class improved by more than 50% on multiple early reading skills from the middle to the end of the year, with most of her students at least doubling their scores on one or more skills.

Julie’s use of ABCmouse.com to differentiate instruction and engage families during the 2012–2013 school year contributed to further positive outcomes for her students. At the beginning of the school year, 32% of her students were significantly below benchmark in literacy; by the end of the year, only 9% were in that category. And Julie’s students’ gains from the middle to the end of the year on key literacy skills were more than twice the national average (see chart).

Julie opened the door of her classroom and provided educational technology to open up a new world of learning for her students and their families. Her success in differentiating instruction and engaging families using ABCmouse.com led to academic success for Julie’s students.

See more research highlighting the proven benefits of digital game-based learning, as well as it’s positive impact on children’s cognitive development and social-emotional learning.

Notes:

† † Director of Research and Educational Partnerships, Age of Learning, Inc.; formerly Assistant Professor and Director of Early Childhood Education Master’s Program, Loyola Marymount University

1 National Center for Education Statistics, 2003

2 August, Carlo, Dressler, & Snow, 2005

3 Tomlinson, 2001

4 The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) is a leading assessment of language and literacy skills for kindergarteners. http://dibels/uoregon.edu/

5 Beveridge, 2005; Esler, Godber, & Christenson, 2002; Hara, 1998; Jeynes, 2007

6 Griffith, 1996; Sui-Chu & Willms, 1996; Marcon, 1999; Sheridan, Knoche, Kupzyk, Edwards, & Marvin, 2011

7 Eccles & Harold, 1993; DePlanty, Coulter-Kern, & Duchane, 2007

8 Comer, 2001

9 National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2009; 2012

References:

August, D., Carlo, M., Dressler, C., & Snow, C. (2005). The critical role of vocabulary development for English language learners. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 20(1), 50–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5826.2005.00120.x.

Beveridge, S. (2005). Children, families and schools: Developing partnerships for inclusive education. London: Routledge/Falmer.

Comer, J. P. (2001). Schools that develop children. The American Prospect, 12(7), 3–12.

DePlanty, J., Coulter-Kern, R., & Duchane, K. A. (2007). Perceptions of parent involvement in academic achievement. The Journal of Educational Research, 100(6), 361–368.

Eccles, J. S. & Harold, R. D. (1993). Parent-school involvement during the early adolescent years. Teachers College Record, 94(3), 568–587.

Esler, A. N., Godber, Y., & Christenson, S. L. (2002). Best practices in supporting home-school collaboration. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.), Best Practices in School Psychology IV, (pp. 389–411). Washington, DC: National Association of School Psychologists.

Griffith, J. (1996). Relation of parental involvement, empowerment, and school traits to student academic performance. Journal of Educational Research, 90, 33–41.

Hara, S. R. (1998). Parent involvement: The key to improved student achievement. School Community Journal, 8(2), 9–19.

Jeynes, W. H. (2007). The relationship between parental involvement and urban secondary school student academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Urban Achievement, 42(1), 82–110.

Marcon, R. (1999). Differential impact of preschool models on development and early learning of inner-city children: A three-cohort study. Developmental Psychology, 35(2), 358–375.

National Association for the Education of Young Children (2009). Family engagement, diverse families, and early childhood education programs: An integrated review of the literature. Retrieved from http://naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/research/FamEngage.pdf.

National Association for the Education of Young Children (2012). Technology and interactive media as tools in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved from http://naeyc.org/files/naeyc/PS_technology_WEB.pdf.

National Center for Education Statistics (2003). The nation’s report card. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/main2003/2005453.pdf.

Sheridan, S. M., Knoche, L. L., Kupzyk, K. A., Edwards, C. P., & Marvin, C. A. (2011). A randomized trial examining the effects of parent engagement on early language and literacy: The getting ready intervention. Journal of School Psychology, 49(3), 361–383.

Sui-Chu, E. H. & Willms, J. D. (1996). Effects of parental involvement on eighth-grade achievement. The Sociological Quarterly, 69(2), 126–141.

Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms (2nd Ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

TM & © 2014 Age of Learning, Inc. All rights reserved. The names of other companies, products, and services are the property of their respective owners.

An Effective Digital Learning Resource Can Significantly Improve Motivation, Engagement, and Self-Confidence

Case study highlights how the benefits of ABCmouse can extend beyond academics.

ABCmouse Case Study Overview

Motivation, excitement about learning, and self-confidence as a learner are qualities most parents would love to see more of in their children. Whether a child is at-risk and struggling to meet early learning milestones or on target with expectations, fostering a positive approach to learning can substantially improve school readiness and long-term academic outcomes.

As parents increasingly turn to educational websites and apps to help their children build academic skills at home, they may not appreciate that these tools vary widely in quality and effectiveness. High-quality and effective digital learning resources can make a significant impact not only on the development of key academic knowledge, skills, and abilities, but also on critical non-academic factors, including motivation, focus, engagement, and self-confidence. The experiences of two families illustrate these effects.

Michael G. was born with a congenital heart defect and spent the first eight months of his life in and out of the hospital. By the time he turned two, his mother Nicole was worried that he was developmentally behind his peers.

Jennifer M. is the mother of three-year-old Alex. Though she and her husband were confident that Alex was typical for his age, they wanted to create an enriched home environment in which Alex would develop a lifelong love of learning.

Both Nicole and Jennifer were looking for digital learning resources to help their children, though for different reasons. After finding numerous other education websites and apps ineffective, they both turned to ABCmouse.com because of its comprehensive academic curriculum. In Nicole’s experience, “A lot of apps are just games; they don’t have educational value.” According to Jennifer, “What I’ve noticed with the other apps is that they’re more static; there’s just a couple of activities to do and it’s not that interesting to a three-year-old boy.”

Nicole and Jennifer discovered that the benefits of using ABCmouse.com transcended academics and contributed to major gains they hadn’t expected in their children’s motivation, focus, engagement, and self-confidence.

Strengthening Motivation to Learn

For a child struggling to meet developmental milestones, motivation plays a critical role in facilitating progress. With ABCmouse.com, Nicole could see Michael beginning to enjoy learning for its own sake, and she recognized the benefits of a resource that increased her son’s motivation to learn.

She also discovered that Michael was motivated by ABCmouse.com to challenge himself to learn more advanced skills.

Jennifer also noticed the positive impact ABCmouse.com had on her son’s motivation. “After starting ABCmouse.com, we saw a major change. He just blossomed. I just saw his enthusiasm for learning
skyrocket!” Alex responded to ABCmouse.com’s builtin rewards system: “He loves building his hamster cage with his tickets. He loves his fish tank. He enjoys going on his learning path and making progress and earning rewards along the way.”

Jennifer saw Alex’s increased motivation to learn leading to gains in academic subjects: “We saw results immediately, within weeks, and I didn’t expect that. He started . . . recognizing letters and numbers, and then shortly thereafter, reading and writing. And that was mind-blowing to me.”

The Power of Engagement

As with motivation, focus and engagement with learning in early childhood are key to school readiness and academic achievement, and effective digital learning resources can make a significant difference in developing these cognitive processes.

Jennifer originally started Alex on ABCmouse.com to help him learn his letters and numbers. She was overjoyed when she also saw Alex growing in his social-emotional abilities and flourishing at school. He began participating more in school activities, and his teachers reported that he had started playing with a wider range of classmates and was becoming more comfortable in preschool.

Jennifer credits much of Alex’s growth to how ABCmouse.com mimics a classroom setting, preparing him for the structured nature of school. Armed with these virtual experiences, Alex approached the real classroom with more focus and participated more in the social and academic environment.

Like Alex, after Michael began using ABCmouse.com at home, he became more engaged in learning at school. Nicole heard from his preschool teachers that he’s “the only child at circle time who will jump up and down and enthusiastically answer every single question.” Nicole attributed the academic and non-academic gains that Michael was showing both at home and in the school environment to his use of ABCmouse.com. “I watched him go from disengaged to deeply engaged and focused . . . . He’s running around and being a crazy two-year-old, and then he’ll sit down and focus on ABCmouse.com. It’s unbelievable how attention-getting it is!”

Growing Self-Confidence

Self-confidence as a learner is another critical factor that contributes to school readiness and success. Jennifer had noticed that Alex could be shy and nervous in new environments. Her biggest surprise with ABCmouse.com was its impact on Alex’s self-confidence, and how that changed his behavior at school:

Nicole also reported major gains in Michael’s confidence after using ABCmouse.com:

Jennifer and Nicole’s experiences with ABCmouse.com echo the results of a 2014 survey of nearly 5,000 parents with children using ABCmouse.com, sponsored by Age of Learning. The overwhelming majority of parents reported that ABCmouse.com had a meaningful positive impact on their children’s approaches to learning, in addition to helping them learn language, literacy, and math skills and concepts.

Michael and Alex were at different stages of development when they began using ABCmouse.com. Michael was trying to catch up to the level of his peers and Alex was on target with his milestones. Their parents had different intentions for the role of ABCmouse.com; yet both families were impressed with the significant academic and non-academic progress they observed in their children.

With ABCmouse.com, Alex and Michael strengthened their motivation to learn, became more engaged with learning, and grew confident as learners. Importantly, the strengths that they built in the virtual world of ABCmouse.com carried over into the classroom. Nicole and Jennifer were thrilled to find that ABCmouse.com contributed to their children’s school readiness and achievement in school. Effective digital resources that integrate an academic curriculum with social-emotional and cognitive components can meaningfully improve school readiness and success.

See more research highlighting the proven benefits of digital game-based learning, as well as it’s positive impact on children’s cognitive development and social-emotional learning.

Notes:

† Director, Research and Educational Partnerships, Age of Learning, Inc.; formerly Assistant Professor and Director of Early Childhood Education Master’s Program, Loyola Marymount University

1 Zins, Weissberg, Wang, & Walberg, 2004

2 Heckman, 2006

3 Eccles & Wigfield, 2002

4 Ainsa, 1989; Clements & Swaminathan, 1995; Lee & Houston, 1987

5 McClelland, Acock, & Morrison, 2006

6 Bergin, Ford, & Hess, 1993

7 Hyson, 1985

8 Lepper & Gurtner, 1989 9 Liu, 1996

References:

Ainsa, T. (1989). Effects of computers and training in Head Start curriculum. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 16, 72–78.

Bergin, D. A., Ford, M. E., & Hess, R. D. (1993). Patterns of motivation and social behavior associated with microcomputer use of
young children. Journal of Educational Psychology, 85(3), 437–445.

Clements, D. H., & Swaminathan, S. (1995). Technology and school change: New lamps or old? Childhood Education, 71, 275–281.

Eccles, J. S. & Wigfield, A. (2002). Motivational beliefs, values, and goals. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 109–132.

Heckman, J. J. (2006). Skill formation and the economics of investing in disadvantaged children. Science, 312, 1900–1902.

Hyson, M. C. (1985). Emotions and the microcomputer: An exploratory study of young children’s responses. Computers in Human
Behavior, 1, 143–152.

Lee, M. W., & Houston, E.S. (1987). Computers in preschools: Why and why not! Journal of Human Behavior and Learning, 4(1),
10–13.

Lepper, M. R., & Gurtner, J. (1989). Children and computers. American Psychologist, 44(2), 170–178.

Liu, M. (1996). An exploratory study of how pre-kindergarten children use the interactive multimedia technology: Implications for
multimedia software design. Journal of Computing in Childhood Education, 7(1–2), 71–92.

McClelland, M. H., Acock, A. C., & Morrison, F. J. (2006). The impact of kindergarten learning-related skills on academic
trajectories at the end of elementary school. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 21, 471–490. doi: 10.1016/j.ecresq. 2006.09.003

Muller, A. A., & Perlmutter, M. (1985). Preschool children’s problem-solving interactions at computers and jigsaw puzzles. Journal of
Applied Developmental Psychology, 6, 173–186.

Zins, J., Weissberg, R. P., Wang, M. C., & Walberg, H. J. (Eds.). (2004). Building academic success on social and emotional learning: What does the research say? New York: Teachers College Press.

TM & © 2015 Age of Learning, Inc. All rights reserved. The names of other companies, products, and services are the property of their respective owners.

Harnessing Education Technology to Meet Diverse Learning Needs in the Classroom

Case study shows ABCmouse increases students’ foundational skills and confidence.

ABCmouse Case Study Overview

Laura Bryant is a kindergarten teacher in a low-income community in New Mexico. Her students all qualify for the free breakfast program, and 90 percent qualify for free or reduced lunch. She knows they are at high risk for school failure when they first come into her classroom. However, Laura sees an opportunity to help them build the skills necessary for academic success. The challenge lies in meeting the diverse learning needs of her students, including a range of English Language Learning (ELL) needs. “I have students who already know [how to spell] their name and their letters, but then I have ones who don’t know their letters or their sounds.”

Laura began using ABCmouse.com Early Learning Academy, a supplementary curriculum available online and as an app, during the 2012–13 school year. “ABCmouse is the one website I integrate into all my lessons on a daily basis,” she notes. Laura employed a three-pronged, differentiated teaching strategy to 1) engage students with fun and diverse learning activities; 2) provide individualized lessons for below-, at-, and above-grade-level students; and 3) vary the delivery and mode of instruction for students to learn individually, in small groups, and with the entire class. Additionally, she discovered that ABCmouse was a valuable ELL resource for the students in her class who primarily spoke Spanish.

ABCmouse: Engaging Diverse Learners

Regardless of how educational content is delivered, in order for children to acquire new information and skills, they must engage with the content being taught. Laura found that with ABCmouse she no longer struggled to gain and retain the attention of her students on academic subjects. They consistently asked to “play” on ABCmouse and were excited when Laura would let them choose areas of the program in which to spend time after they had completed their assigned lessons:

The wide range of ABCmouse learning activities provided each student with something to engage them in learning, based on their individual interests. Laura discovered thousands of activities to reinforce the important skills and concepts that she teaches, through books, games, puzzles, art, and music videos that appeal to different types of learners. As a result, she increased student engagement and focus, which led to important gains in academic skills:

Laura’s experience with ABCmouse is not unique. In a survey of more than 1,000 teachers using ABCmouse in their classrooms, more than 90 percent reported that ABCmouse had a high or medium impact on their students’ learning.

ABCmouse: Differentiation by Student Level

Each year, Laura finds that she has students who need a highly individualized approach to learning. One such student was a boy who had witnessed domestic violence and was placed in foster care. This student had an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to help him learn while coping with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and behavioral challenges. He was introduced to ABCmouse with the rest of the class:

Another struggling student in Laura’s classroom benefited from a highly individualized curriculum using ABCmouse; it helped her learn to speak and read English, which was not her first language:

In addition to using ABCmouse as a supplementary resource for children below grade level, Laura found it had a positive impact on advanced students, too. She describes how one gifted child was able to use ABCmouse for more challenging reading while remaining in the classroom with his same-aged peers:

Within her classroom, Laura successfully met the needs of her most at-risk students and her most advanced students with the same educational resource. “When they’re on the low end, I can assign lessons and activities that will help them; if I have a higher student who already knows sounds and letters, I can assign a completely different lesson for a challenge.”

ABCmouse: Differentiation by Instruction Mode

Laura often used ABCmouse learning activities to demonstrate a concept or skill to her students during whole-class instruction. Then, as they worked in centers, students had the opportunity to reinforce those skills individually or in small groups through more ABCmouse activities:

Laura found that the diverse activities in ABCmouse enable an engaging and interactive experience that can be delivered to her students in various groupings to teach key concepts. For example, she introduced the letter “A” with a music video on ABCmouse to the entire class:

After the whole-group instruction, students sat at the computers during center time and reinforced their understanding by completing ABCmouse games, puzzles, books, and art related to the letter “A” and the sounds that it stands for. And for any student that needed additional assistance, Laura assigned specific activities at the student’s appropriate level to be completed individually in class or at home.

ABCmouse Case Study Summary

Laura found effective new ways to differentiate instruction by incorporating high-quality education technology into the everyday routines of her classroom. Her inclusion of ABCmouse supplemented her curriculum with diverse activities, targeted the individual needs of each student, and facilitated different modes of teaching. By taking differentiated instruction to the next level, Laura helped her students make strong academic gains, and it has become a valued learning resource in her classroom ever since:

Notes:

1. Director of Research and Educational Partnerships, Age of Learning, Inc.; formerly Assistant Professor and Director of Early Childhood Education Master’s Program, Loyola Marymount University Halle, Hair, Wandner, McNamara, & Chien (2012)

2. Darling-Hammond, Wise, & Klein (1999) 3 Sapon-Shevin (2001)

3. Sapon-Shevin (2001)

4. Stanford, Crowe, & Flice (2010) 5 Lou, Abrami, & d’Apollonia (2001)

5. Lou, Abrami, & d’Apollonia (2001)

References:

Darling-Hammond, L., Wise, A., & Klein, S. (1999). A license to teach: Raising standards for teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Halle, T., Hair, E., Wandner, L., McNamara, M., & Chien, N. (2012). Predictors and outcomes of early versus later English language proficiency among English language learners. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 27(1), 1-20.

Lou, Y, Abrami, P. C., & d’Apollonia, S. (2001). Small group and individual learning with technology: A meta-analysis. Review
of Educational Research, 71(3), 449-521.

Sapon-Shevin, M. (2001). Schools fit for all. Educational Leadership, 58(4), 34-39.

Stanford, P., Crowe, M. W., & Flice, H. (2010). Differentiating with technology. Teaching Exceptional Children Plus, 6(4),
2-9.

TM & © 2016 Age of Learning, Inc. All rights reserved. The names of other companies, products, and services are the property of their respective owners.