With the new school year just under way, now is an ideal time for parents to reassess how well family structures and attitudes are enhancing a child's chances of success at school.

If you have not yet done so, discuss everyone's concerns and expectations for the year. Help your child identify any special challenges she will face this year and discuss ways she can cope with them.

Be sure you come to agreement about academic, behavioral and social goals for the year. Things work so much better if the goals are clear and shared by everyone.

Make sure the more lax summer schedule has been replaced by one more conducive to school. This should include specific times when a child is expected to rise as well as when he should go to bed. It is important for children to get up with enough time to have a healthy breakfast and not feel too rushed before leaving for school. In order to get enough sleep, this may mean getting to bed earlier.

Setting a clear and detailed schedule for your child will reduce the stress on everyone and make the transition from a relaxed summer schedule to a productive school-year routine more likely to go smoothly.

Doing this effectively may require some changes in parents' schedules, attitudes and priorities.

Plan family dinners as frequently as you can - daily if possible - even it means being flexible about the time if other demands mean that you cannot eat at the same time each day. This meal can be a focal event for the family, a time to get in touch with one another and share what has happened during the day.

Establish a weekly schedule for completing homework that reflects your child's unique needs as well as the real rhythms of the family. Be sure to account for potential interrupters like the telephone, the Internet, television and after-school games or lessons.

Telling children you expect them to just get it done usually is not enough, and nagging usually generates resistance or resentment. Planning and follow-through are key, especially if your child has any specific problems with a subject that could cause resistance to studying or frustration when doing so.

The most successful plans contain specific objectives and focus on process rather than results. For example, it may be more important to plan on spending at least 20 minutes each day on social studies than promising to get a "B." If the process works as it should, grades will take care of themselves.

Don't forget to arrange a way to monitor progress and invoke consequences if the plan is not being followed, and explain these as supportive structures to your child.

Make time to talk about your child's day. Show your interest in what your child has experienced at school. Ask about your child's social interactions, extracurricular interests and plans, as well as academic experiences and homework.

Discuss what he did with other children. Ask how specific children behaved and what he thinks about their behavior. Encourage him to cultivate friendships with students who appear to share similar values and interests.

Discuss how the expectations of his teachers differ, and encourage him to check with each of them about how well he is meeting them.

Listen to any feelings of discouragement your child may have. Don't belittle or disregard his frustrations as he meets unexpected obstacles. These are normal and need to be expressed before they can be "solved." Acknowledge his struggle, encourage his efforts and help him problem-solve about challenging situations.

A little planning at the outset of the school year, combined with follow-through throughout the year, can make your child's school year much more successful and the family experience more enjoyable.

Don't hesitate to do this even if your child is young. If he's old enough to go to school, he's old enough to learn these skills. The younger your child is when she begins to learn to plan ahead and schedule her time, the sooner she will internalize these skills and the more likely to use them through the years.

Dennis O'Brien is a licensed clinical social worker, experienced educator and therapist who writes educational materials for the Washington University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry.