As students return to class, families are also settling back into after-school routines. A new report from Barna Group provides a snapshot of what that looks like.

It turns out that homework is the most common after-school activity, with 65 percent of U.S. students 17 and under hitting the books. A nearly equal number (64 percent) also watch television and movies at the end of the academic day.

The good news: A majority of students interact with family members, though the likelihood of family face time decreases as they get older (60 percent of kids ages 5 to 8 vs. 54 percent of teens, for example).

The start of a new school year is a good time to challenge families and students to get into a habit of spending time with God.

The bad news: Just 8 percent of students engage in spiritual pursuits — reading the Bible, praying or doing devotions — after school. More popular activities include playing video games (42 percent); informal play (39 percent); reading books not related to homework (32 percent); texting or engaging with friends through social media (27 percent); navigating the internet for reasons not related to homework (25 percent); extracurricular pursuits (25 percent); playing organized sports (23 percent); and hanging out with friends (22 percent).

Among students whose parents identify as Christians, 9 percent read the Bible, pray or do devotions after school, compared to 3 percent with non-Christian parents.

The start of a new school year is a good time to challenge families and students to get into a habit of spending time with God, perhaps engaging in family devotions together. For more on this topic, see The Family Altar: Meeting God at Home by Samuel Rodriguez.

Junior Bible Quiz and Bible Quiz are also effective ministries for encouraging the students in your church to spend time in the Word throughout the week.