Navigating the Middle School Transition: A Parent’s Guide

IS YOUR CHILD ANXIOUS ABOUT ENTERING MIDDLE SCHOOL?

Saying Goodbye to Elementary School

Transitioning from the familiar environment of elementary school can be challenging for some children. Kathy Glass, a former middle school teacher and author specializing in curriculum and instruction, notes, “Children often spend several years at their elementary school, making it feel like home. When multiple elementary schools merge into a single middle school, it can be socially overwhelming, potentially straining old friendships and fostering new ones.”

Embracing Independence and Organization

Middle school demands greater independence and organizational skills from students. “Unlike the single, self-contained classrooms of elementary school, middle school students rotate through different classes with various teachers, each with unique expectations. This can be daunting for some children,” explains Glass.

As a parent, you can offer support by listening, sympathizing, and guiding your child through this transition while clearly communicating the importance of focusing on schoolwork and succeeding academically.

SEVEN STRATEGIES TO KEEP YOUR CHILD ON TRACK

1. Provide Hands-On Guidance
   • Advocate for your child with teachers, counselors, and school staff.
   • Monitor homework, asking guiding questions like:
     • What information do you need for this assignment?
     • Where will you look for it?
     • What steps will you take next?
2. Assist with Organization
   • Help your child develop a system for managing important papers.
   • Use binders with folders for completed and returned work.
   • Ensure your child uses a planner to track assignments and deadlines.
3. Communicate with Teachers
   • Discuss any organizational challenges with your child’s teachers or school counselor.
   • Brainstorm solutions together.
4. Teach Time-Management Skills
   • Reinforce the habit of referring to a planner regularly.
   • Break down large assignments into manageable tasks.
   • Help your child estimate how long each task will take and create a realistic schedule.
5. Develop Note-Taking Skills
   • Encourage starting a new page for each class daily, using key words and abbreviations.
   • Review notes after class to ensure accuracy.
   • Teach your child to take notes from reading assignments by pre-reading to grasp main themes.
6. Hone Study Skills
   • Encourage active learning techniques such as highlighting, making study cards, and diagramming concepts.
   • Identify the best study times for your child and establish consistent study habits.
   • Use mnemonic devices to aid memorization.
7. Engage with Teachers
   • Address specific teacher-related challenges through communication.
   • Ensure your child understands each teacher’s expectations and homework policies.

Seeking Extra Help

If your child continues to struggle, consider hiring a tutor. Literacy coach Laura Hendrick advises, “Middle schoolers still need parental support, both academically and emotionally. Be firm and establish accountability measures.”

Reading Tips for Middle Schoolers

To become a successful reader, students should:

• Maintain an organized home study space.
• Practice reading daily.
• Use textbook headings and questions to guide comprehension.

Advice for Parents

High school teacher Lance Balla suggests:

• Understand your child’s learning style and provide a conducive study environment.
• Stay engaged with teachers and monitor your child’s progress regularly.
• Foster a college-going culture and model enjoyable reading habits.

Encourage your child to read newspapers and discuss their learning content, focusing on understanding rather than grades.

I Am an Amazing Asian Girl: A Book of Positive Affirmations

Written by Yobe Qiu

Illustrated by Jade Le

This book features an Asian-American girl as the narrator, but the story is strongly multicultural. Qui discusses adjectives that describe qualities of the character like being adaptable, appreciative, and assertive. She is also independent in her opinions, while also being very community oriented. She interacts with children of different cultures while pursuing her own interests and projects.

There are not too many books available with female Asian protagonists and this book is a good choice for primary grade children to encourage self-confidence and reinforce self-esteem.

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Weeny Meeny’s Halloween

Written and illustrated by Marin Darmonkow

Weeny Meeny is rather young for a witch just passing the 1000 year mark. She enjoys newfound independence as she can now consider herself a mature witch. One thing bothers her. All the other witches fly about town never considering the litter in the streets. Weeny Meeny is environmentally conscious and wants to do something about it so she teams up with her pets, a black crow and a black cat.

Weeny Meeny strives to combine her magic with some hard work. The three friends enlist the aid of some unlikely allies and set to the task. Will the streets of the town be clean for Halloween?

The illustrations are child-like pencil drawings etched in Halloween colors. They add a unique aspect to the tale. While the book is targeted for readers ages three through ten, there is quite a bit of text on each page, which makes me feel it more suitable for a bit older reader or as a child’s beginning reader rather than a picture book for the younger child.

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When I am Angry: Children’s Book about Anger

Written by Michael Gordon

Illustrated by Max Larin

Gordon explores the topic of anger and how to handle it with preschoolers. This picture book features a preschooler named Josh who loses his sweet temperament rapidly when he becomes angry. So, when he wants to eat cake instead of lunch, go off alone to play with his friends or demands a pet, he becomes furious. His mom, dad, and older sister suggest ways to control it. He could pretend it to be a giant fireball to be thrown away, count to four or breathe deeply. Will Josh be able to practice these techniques to control his bad temper?

Larin has done a good job of providing age-appropriate colorful illustrations to help toddlers and preschoolers understand the lessons of the tale. Recommended for children ages two through five.

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The Escape of Princess Madeline

Written by Kirstin Pulioff

This book has been classified as a young adult novella. The protagonist is Princess Madeline and the setting is the medieval kingdom of Soron. Madeline’s mother,  Queen Eleanor, is introduced in the Prologue by the wizard Elias and again alluded to in the Epilogue. The subtlety of these allusions will become evident to the reader at the conclusion of the tale.

At the beginning of the story, we meet Princess Madeline and her twin brother Braden. They will soon be celebrating their sixteenth birthdays. Madeline’s best friend in Sophia who is a commoner. Alas! She cannot really understand the life of a princess. Sophia is in love with Braden and it seems that her dreams of happiness with him are doomed. King Theodore has attempted to raise his children to be proper heirs of the kingdom, but Madeline is a determined, headstrong and passionate princess who has begun to question her father’s authority. He presents Madeline with a beautiful green gown that was once worn my the mother she never knew. The trouble begins when Madeline learns that the ball to celebrate her birthday is really an opportunity for all the royal suitors to compete for her hand. Enraged by this prospect, Madeline wears another gown in defiance and then feigns illness to escape the ball. This behavior infuriates her father and embarrasses the family.

When Madeline is awakened by Sophia the next morning, she learns that there is to be a jousting tournament to determine which of the knights will become her Knight Protector. Her father forces her to attend. She spies a young knight named Daniel who evokes “butterflies in her stomach” and other unexplained emotions in her head. Madeline disappears from her viewing point before the end of the contest. She is determined to escape what she feels is a life in prison.

When her disappearance is discovered, all the knights in the kingdom go to search for her. Daniel, especially is determined to win her back. Madeline is clever; she switches her gown with the clothes of a peasant girl that she meets in the forest. She bribes her with a bag of gold coins. But Daniel discovers that the family is hiding the royal dress and finds out that Madeline is still alive. Madeline is alive but she has been captured by bandits in the forest. This young pampered princess has never had to use survival skills, but she is clever and strong. She manages to escape not once but twice. Things are looking gloomy for her; Madeline has learned a few lessons about family, love, and responsibility along her journey. The wizard Elias and his green robed elves make an appearance. Here is where the author successfully merges the fantasy environment with the strong characters and modern day coming of age plot.  What will happen to Madeline? Does Daniel win the princess?  Will the king and his daughter mend their relationship?

This book contains in depth character studies and a story line that moves along well with a few twists and turns. Mature middle grade readers might enjoy the fantasy elements though the plot is more suitable for young adult readers. In fact, I did feel like I was reading a story more intended for an adult audience so my suggested audience would be twelve plus. Looking forward to hearing more about Princess Madeline and her life’s journey.

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