Students across the state of Arkansas will be heading back to the classroom this month. While shopping for new supplies and clothes is on every parent’s to-do list, there are a few other things kids need to do before the school bell rings.

 

Eye Exams

To avoid pulling your child out of class during the school day, it’s best to get your child’s vision checked before the school year starts.

Eye exams aren’t just important for your child’s eye health; they also ensure your child doesn’t have any vision issues that could interfere with school performance.

Children should have their first comprehensive eye exam at 6 months. They should have eye exams at age 3 and before they enter first grade. If no vision correction is required, they should have exams every two years.

 

Dental Visits

Like eye exams, it’s best to get these scheduled early, as most dentists are booked up and require patients to schedule weeks in advance.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends all children get a dental check-up once every six months. These are important for helping protect teeth from decay and ensuring teeth develop correctly.

 

Medical Visits

Students in Arkansas are required to receive certain vaccinations before entering certain grades. It’s important to contact your school to secure the necessary medical forms and to schedule appointments with your child’s physician.

Vaccinations are vital in preventing diseases and viruses such as measles, mumps, and hepatitis B and A.

For more information on vaccinations in Arkansas, visit the National Vaccine Information Center.

 

Take a Tour

It’s good for you and your kid to know where things are at school. You’ll know where to drop your students off, pick them up, and they can know where their classroom and locker is going to be. If your child changes classes during the day, walking through their schedule and visiting each classroom is a good idea, too.

Whether it’s a new school or they’re just changing grades, the more prepared your student is for day one, the easier it will be for them to hit the ground running.

 

Get them reading

A great way to help kids get back in the right mindset before class starts is to get them reading at home. Not only does it re-engage their minds, it’s a nice way to ease them back into reading because they can do so at their own pace – especially if they’ve been slacking off all summer long.

 

Start taking folic acid

Girls as young as 10 can start taking folic acid. Not only does it help maintain heathy, beautiful hair and nails, it assists in acne prevention, makes skin glow, reduces the risk of a variety of diseases, and encourages daily healthy habits.

Folic acid’s greatest benefit is for women capable of bearing children. 400 mcg can reduce the risk of a child developing neural tube defects (NTDs) such as spina bifida and anencephaly by as much as 75%.

Learn more about the benefits of folic acid for the young women in your life here.