The meaning of "Back to School"

Today, we released our Back-to-School Benchmark Survey and there's some thought-provoking stuff in there. Surveying more than a thousand parents, we discovered that parents are more than twice as likely to go shopping in preparation for the new school year as engage in activities recommended by experts to help children effectively prepare for the coming school year.

It's not that shopping doesn't matter. After a summer of running around, my 8 year-old has no tread left on her sneakers and my 6 year-old is pining for a backpack becoming of a first-grader. We've got several shopping trips in our future.

But it's all the other things we parents do that matter more, including increasing reading time for our kids, reducing TV/video time and getting everyone on a good school schedule. Inspiring parents to do these things well is the mission of our Back-to-School section on GreatSchools. Check it out — there are many great tips there.

And I'll add one more tip that I've come to appreciate: as school approaches, consider what you do as a parent to model what it means to be a "student." Our kids always learn more by watching what we do than by listening to what we say. Now is a great time to commit yourself to learning something new — a new skill, a new language, how to be a better parent — and to make sure that your children see you in the role of an enthusiastic, committed student.

This year, make sure to take time to think about the real meaning of back-to-school. Don't let the shopping hustle and bustle take your mind off preparing your own family and yourself for the rewarding year of learning ahead.