How to Lighten the Backpack Load
Nancy J. Bloom, DPT, a physical therapy instructor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis says it's important that children only carry the books they need and that they carry their backpacks over both shoulders to balance the load. "The tendency I've seen is that they don't want to get home and not have a book that they might need. So rather than really organize themselves before they leave school to go home, they bring everything. They're probably just packing more than they need."
In fifth grade, we are noticing that some students' backpacks are heavy due to the lack of organization before leaving school at the end of the day.
What we do to help students with this issue:
1. Teachers leave enough time at the end of the day for students to write their homework in their agenda books and gather the necessary materials to do that work. We give assistance to students who need it and teach them organizational skills.
2. Teachers remind students to empty out their backpacks weekly! Some students have three or four recreational reading books in their backpacks, some hardcover, that add a lot of weight to their bags.
3. Students have spiral notebooks and folders for their subjects which allows them to take those lighter items and not bring their entire trapper keeper home every day. The Trapper Keepers are a few pounds with nothing in them!
4. The district has chosen lightweight books for elementary students. The Wordly Wise book, as well as the math journal and study link book are all soft cover and do not weigh much. In addition, our agenda books are small and lightweight.
5. We recommend that students carry their lunch and snow gear, etc. in a separate bag.
How Can Parents Help Lighten the Load?
1. Help your child clean out his/her backpack every night.
2. Encourage him/her to carry only one recreational book at a time
3. Bags on wheels help to alleviate some of the weight
What Should Be In Your Child's Backpack?
Each night:
- Agenda book
- Math journal (to keep up with math boxes)
- Math study link
- Wordly Wise
Some evenings:
- Current events spiral notebook
- Guided reading book and reading notebook
** Please contact your child's homeroom teacher with any questions or concerns.
In fifth grade, we are noticing that some students' backpacks are heavy due to the lack of organization before leaving school at the end of the day.
What we do to help students with this issue:
1. Teachers leave enough time at the end of the day for students to write their homework in their agenda books and gather the necessary materials to do that work. We give assistance to students who need it and teach them organizational skills.
2. Teachers remind students to empty out their backpacks weekly! Some students have three or four recreational reading books in their backpacks, some hardcover, that add a lot of weight to their bags.
3. Students have spiral notebooks and folders for their subjects which allows them to take those lighter items and not bring their entire trapper keeper home every day. The Trapper Keepers are a few pounds with nothing in them!
4. The district has chosen lightweight books for elementary students. The Wordly Wise book, as well as the math journal and study link book are all soft cover and do not weigh much. In addition, our agenda books are small and lightweight.
5. We recommend that students carry their lunch and snow gear, etc. in a separate bag.
How Can Parents Help Lighten the Load?
1. Help your child clean out his/her backpack every night.
2. Encourage him/her to carry only one recreational book at a time
3. Bags on wheels help to alleviate some of the weight
What Should Be In Your Child's Backpack?
Each night:
- Agenda book
- Math journal (to keep up with math boxes)
- Math study link
- Wordly Wise
Some evenings:
- Current events spiral notebook
- Guided reading book and reading notebook
** Please contact your child's homeroom teacher with any questions or concerns.