With school starting soon, these can be busy and difficult days for parents and, of course, students. There's plenty of online help with information about schools and back-to-school prepartions. Many are helpful, but some aren't very creative and don't give sound advice.

What I have done is sort through them and found you the most useful ones. Be sure to explore these on your own and decide what works for you and what doesn't.

KidSource.com:
http://www.kidsource.com
What makes this site stand out is the amount of in-depth information that is available for parents, teachers and kids. Topics covered include transitioning to a new grade, succeeding in school, improving test scores and more. One of the articles I liked: "Top 10 Simple Tips to Help Keep Children Safe When They Go Back To School."

Child Fun.com:
http://www.childfun.com/themes/school.shtml
"Who says parenting can't be fun?" -- that's the theme of this site, and it tries to live up to that theme. It's aimed more at parents of kids in kindergarten -- if you have a child in that age bracket, you will find a world of activities, songs and more here.

SmarterKids.com:
http://www.smarterkids.com/rescenter/library/articles/back_to_school_tips.asp
This site offers "educational assessments, tools and advice." In the back-to-school section, look for steps you can take to get kids from their summer routines into their fall ones. Tip: "About a week before school starts, have your child start going to bed at her school-night bedtime." It even has specific tips for the day before school starts and the first day of school.

KidsHealth.com:
http://www.kidshealth.com
This site, run by a medical foundation, is one of the largest health sites aimed at children and their parents. It has separate areas for parents, kids and teens, with unique articles and advice on health issues. The look-and-feel of each section is different and meant to make the appropriate age group feel comfortable dealing with uncomfortable topics. You may want to explore parts of it with your child, so you can both learn about health issues together, and get "the other" perspective. The tips for kids include "dealing with bullies" (I could have used this when I was in school).

Discovery.com's Back to School Roundup:
http://school.discovery.com/parents/features/bts2001/
From the Discovery Channel comes a site that is both elegant and informative. Learn to deal with clothing crises and how parents can help solve those nightly headaches known as homework.

ListOrganizer.com's Back to School Lists:
http://listorganizer.com/backtoschool.htm
And, finally, a simple site that does nothing but provide lists of all kinds offers a printable list of things to buy and do in advance of the start of school. Also look for a handy school schedule you can fill out and keep track of classes and teachers.

Thinking of buying a new computer for a student?
See my earlier segment on buying a new PC or laptop:
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/technology/WABC_051001_techguru.html

See ABCNews.com's Back to School guide:
http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/backtoschool_subindex.html

Send your feedback -- and ideas for coverage: techguru@sree.net