B2S: What a 35-year teacher says really sets a student up for success at start of the year

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Spending hours at the splash pad will soon be a thing of the past.

It's almost that time of year when school bells start dictating schedules across the Valley.

To set students up for success, we went directly to a classroom expert.

"I started teaching in 1989," Teresa D'addato said.

D'addato retired in 2023 after teaching for 35 years at Tarpey Elementary in the Clovis Unified School District.

With more than three decades under her belt, she's worked with thousands of students.

"I've taught first grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade and teaching reading intervention," D'addato said.

She says to start preparing sooner than later.

"Right now, I would be setting in routines and structures that help encourage a productive and less stressful school year," D'addato said.

She says parents should start by discussing with their child what went well last school year and what was challenging.

"Knowing what you're struggling with is the key to being a really good student. You need to be reflective," D'addato said.

D'addato says to put a plan in place to address those issues and then start working on bedtimes and bedtime routines.

She suggests removing electronics an hour before bed.

During that time, work on personal hygiene, pick out clothes for the next day and do a quiet activity together like legos or reading a book.

She says working on a consistent sleep schedule is critical to making sure students don't show up groggy on day one.

"I've had children who have slept through the morning because they were up all night long," D'addato said.

D'addato says taking those steps at night can make for a less stressful morning, which is important because a stressful morning can follow a child into the classroom.

"The more stressed they are, the less actively engaged they're going to be. They're going to be thinking about 'Oh my gosh, my mom is mad at me. Or my dad is mad at me if I didn't do this, I didn't do that." D'addato said.

A morning checklist can also be helpful to make sure things aren't left behind.

"I would advise to have a copy of the morning checklist in the car so that they can go through it like the pilots getting ready because they have to go through the list before they take off," D'addato said.

She says it's never too early to start practicing homework time.

"It can be simply reading a book, it can be writing a story, starting a journal diary so that they can start working on those writing skills without any stress on them," D'addato said.

If you're not sure how to prepare your child, go directly to the source.

"Don't be afraid to ask the teacher," D'addato said.

D'addato says reward systems are great for encouraging routines.

She says it doesn't have to be tangible rewards -- it can be privileges and activities the child likes to do. She says that encourages kids to do what needs to be done and not procrastinate.

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