Building Better Habits for Success: Your Guide to Positive Changes

Introduction

Habits have an incredible impact on your life. Whether good, bad, or in-between, habits can impact social, emotional, and physical health, relationships, life opportunities, and self-confidence. They can also impact a child’s ability to perform well in school. 

Luckily, poor habits can always be changed for the better, and according to psychology experts, there is no better time to tweak habits than at the start of something new to serve as a launching pad.

With the 2024-25 school year just around the corner, you have a chance to build better habits that can produce positive outcomes throughout the school year. Here are five of the most powerful habits students can form and some ways to get started, backed up by FWPS experts.

Attend School On-Time, Every Day

Why?

Consistent school attendance helps scholars learn the necessary academic and social skills they need for a successful future. Research has shown that missing two or more days of school in a month for any reason hurts a scholar's academic success. For example, a scholar is more likely not to read at grade level and becomes more likely not to graduate. 

Going to school every day is a key part of helping scholars learn the skills they will need for their future jobs and lives. We all want to make sure that every scholar has a strong start for a great future, and it begins with going to school on time every day. 

How?

Set up consistent morning and nighttime routines to promote adequate rest and preparation for each school day. For planned and unplanned absences or tardies, let the school know as soon as possible.

Tips:

• Turn off all electronics 30-60 minutes before bedtime
• Pick out clothes and prepare your backpack for the next day
• Set alarm clocks
• Keep the bedroom free of electronics and other distractions
• Track attendance in ParentVue to stay aware of attendance habits
• Have a backup plan on how to get to school in case something unexpected comes up
• Remember, you can reach out to your scholar's school for strategies to help improve your scholar's attendance

From The Expert:

“You have to show up to level up. Being in class means you have access to the experiences and ideas of your teacher and classmates and get immediate feedback on your own ideas to help you learn and grow. You don’t get that if you’re not in class.” 

Build Strong Study Skills

Why?

Good study skills not only enhance academic performance but also contribute to a scholar's overall development, including their confidence, independence, and ability to handle future challenges. They lay a strong foundation for lifelong learning and success in both academic and professional environments.

How?

Develop good study skills by creating effective habits and strategies tailored to personal learning styles and academic goals.

Tips:

• Set clear and specific goals for each study session
• Create a study schedule and include breaks to avoid burnout (i.e. study 25 minutes and take 5-minute breaks)
• Stay organized by using planners to track assignments and deadlines, and use folders, binders, or other digital tools to keep class materials and notes accessible
• Develop effective note-taking skills through active listening
• Practice regular review of notes and other learning materials and avoid cramming
• Develop good reading habits by previewing text and highlighting and marking important information
• Support healthy study habits through adequate sleep, eating healthy, and staying hydrated
• Seek help when needed by asking questions and using your available resources

From The Expert:

“By implementing these strategies and making a commitment to good study habits, you can enhance your learning effectiveness and set yourself up for academic success. Developing these skills takes time and practice, so be patient and persistent in your efforts.”

Read Daily

Why?

Not only does reading serve as a healthy exercise for our minds by improving creativity, critical thinking, communication skills, and concentration, but it also helps expand our perspective on others and the world around us. Daily reading can improve comprehension skills and therefore academic performance across all subjects. ⁽¹⁾ 

How?

Plan to read every day, increasing the level of difficulty as reading confidence grows.

Tips:

• Find books that are interesting. Graphic novels are okay!
• Explore a wide range of topics and genres
• Review your child’s current reading level and work with their teacher to identify books that will promote reading growth

From The Expert:

“Reading every day is so powerful! Not only does it take us to different places around the world and our imagination, but daily reading is also critical for vocabulary development, language acquisition, and literacy skills. Above all else, opening up a book is such a pleasant distraction from our commonly digital world.”

Limit Social Media and Screen Time

Why?

Today’s children are facing serious FOMO (fear of missing out). Unfortunately, this fear shows itself as anxiety and can impact concentration, mental and physical health, and inability to finish homework. For social media specifically, some students experience self-esteem issues, low engagement in class, and sleep deprivation from long hours of scrolling at night.

However, it’s not all bad – screen time and social media can provide benefits as well when used responsibly. For example, students can improve critical thinking skills as they evaluate the credibility of information, connect with peers, increase knowledge, and more. Most importantly, make sure there is a balance to provide room for activities that promote learning and growth, including sleep.

How?

Set reasonable time limits and guidelines for shows, games, and apps. Common Sense Media is an awesome resource for learning how to establish these boundaries.

Tips:

• Check for age-appropriate, high-quality content
• Create a Family Media Agreement plan using Family Tech Planners
• Explore sports, clubs, and other activities that will keep students engaged, leaving less free time to be consumed by screens
• Be aware of some of the social media red flags to know about

From The Expert:

“Social media and digital media in general can be a great resource for connecting with others and deepening relationships and personalizing learning. Like anything else, these tools can be positive if used responsibly and in moderation. Setting reasonable expectations and limits can help your children establish healthy habits with digital resources."

Use Social-Emotional Learning to Practice Conflict Resolution

Why? 

Miscommunication, disagreements, and conflict are all part of our daily lives. These situations can make it difficult to manage emotions and impulses and solve problems, all of which can cause angst, stress, or feelings of anger. When this happens, it can be difficult to engage with others or focus.

Employing social-emotional skills can help us to appropriately manage conflict, engage in successful conflict resolution, and work to create healthy learning environments. Throughout the school year, all FWPS scholars engage in Social-Emotional Learning lessons to develop social awareness and relationship skills, which are helpful in understanding and empathizing with others’ emotions and perspectives. By learning problem-solving techniques and encouraging critical thinking, students are empowered to make responsible decisions that consider the well-being of all parties involved.

How?

Practice self-awareness and self-regulation to better understand and manage emotions during conflict. Pause for reflection and self-assessment to recognize emotional triggers and develop strategies for self-control.

Tips:

• When feeling overwhelmed, take a few minutes to center yourself before engaging in a conversation or activity that will make you feel worse. It’s okay to take a moment for yourself!
• Use perspective-talking and engage in active listening when situations become tense to increase empathy and effective communication.
• When feeling dysregulated and having trouble managing your emotions, seek help from a trusted friend or adult. Sometimes, just voicing your feelings to a listening ear can make a world of difference. 

From The Expert:

“Social-emotional learning is a powerful tool that supports scholars both in school and throughout life. With SEL, scholars learn the skills of problem-solving, self-regulation impulse control, empathy, and more – all of which work to improve not just academics and relationships but life skills!”

Summary

Remember, forming new habits doesn’t happen overnight. It takes patience and commitment to get new habits to stick to and see the resulting improvements. However, each of the areas listed in this article has a direct correlation to student achievement in school.

Here are a few more tips about forming habits:

• Until a child is intrinsically motivated, try positive encouragement with praise and incentives.
• Consider your child’s age – be certain the goals you create align with their level of development.
• Start small – it's hard to change many habits at once. Think about which habit changes will be most beneficial and start there. 

We look forward to supporting you and your family to build better habits that will promote academic success!

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