Kids Share Their Best Back-To-School Advice for Every Grade

July 21, 2015
Who's really in the know on what makes a successful school year? Kids! We asked them to share insider insights with their peers. And we've got A+ advice for parents on how to navigate the sticky subjects of education today.
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Noah, 2nd-grade alum

Credit: Melanie Acevedo

"First-graders don't do a lot of subtraction, but in second grade you do."

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Olivia, preschool alum

Credit: Melanie Acevedo

"Don't draw on the table. Just ask the teacher for paper."

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Emperor, preschool alum

Credit: Melanie Acevedo

"Leave your jacket and bag in your cubby. But if you forget something in your backpack, you can go back to your cubby and get it later."

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Quimby, kindergarten alum

Credit: Melanie Acevedo

"Math class is fun when you get to count out loud with the teacher. You can count all the way to 120 in kindergarten."

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Marjana, 2nd-grade alum

Credit: Melanie Acevedo

"You get more homework than you did in first grade, but you get to do fun stuff like measuring things. I didn't know a foot was 12 inches. I thought it was a lot longer."

6 of 17

Julian, kindergarten alum

Credit: Melanie Acevedo

"The teacher may try to fool you. During a lesson she'll say the wrong answer to a math problem, like 2+2=500. But you'll know the real answer and get to yell out 'no!'"

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7 of 17

Shuiling and Meiling, 3rd-grade alums

Credit: Melanie Acevedo

Shuiling: "We sometimes have 'twin day' at school, when you can dress like someone else."

Meiling: "We always choose each other."

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Owen, preschool alum

Credit: Melanie Acevedo

"In Pre-K you'll learn the days of the week. There's a song that tells you what day it is. School starts on Mondays and the weekends are the best."

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Emma, 1st-grade alum

Credit: Melanie Acevedo

"You have to spell things the right way when you write stories, but if you don't know how to spell a word you can always ask your teacher."

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Seth, 1st-grade alum

Credit: Melanie Acevedo

"There are no toys in the first-grade classroom. Instead, there are books you can read if you finish the 'do now' problem early."

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Galaxy, 1st-grade alum

Credit: Melanie Acevedo

"You'll go on fun trips in first grade. I went on a bus with my teacher and friends to see a play."

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Jaiden, 5th-grade alum

Credit: Melanie Acevedo

"You can do amazing things in extracurricular activities too. I got my green belt in karate."

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Siena, 5th-grade alum

Credit: Melanie Acevedo

"You might get to dissect something cool. We did owl pellets. We found a rat skull, teeth, and claws. It doesn't smell bad -- just kind of like tea bags."

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Amarie, kindergarten alum

Credit: Melanie Acevedo

"On the first day you might see all new faces in class, but then you'll see some faces of friends from Pre-K too and feel happy."

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Declan, 4th-grade alum

Credit: Melanie Acevedo

"You might be able to climb to the top of the rope in gym class in fourth grade like I did. You'll be stronger this year than you were before."

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Aliyah, 3rd-grade alum

Credit: Melanie Acevedo

"When you play dodgeball, it's more fun to hit somebody with the ball than to be hit by the ball."

 

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