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.

So you have attempted to provide a nurturing environment, set up good examples, and encouraged leadership qualities in your children.

Whether you are a teacher, parent, or other type of caregiver, you have probably heard about the importance of instilling leadership. But how? What skills? Following is a basic list of leadership skills you can teach kids. They are not numbered because each is equally important.

INDEPENDENT THINKING

Help your child break out of a “cookie cutter” mindset by teaching him/her to think independently. Ask for your child’s opinions on many different subjects, without judging or stating your opinion. Be open-minded. Listen so that no opinion is “wrong” or valueless. You might then share your own opinion respectfully, and if it differs, that’s okay – part of independent thinking is hearing many sides of an issue and coming to your own conclusions.

RESPONSIBILITY

Age-appropriate responsibilities are important stepping stones on the ladder of skills necessary for building leadership. Give your child responsibilities as preschoolers, and have him deal with the consequences if those responsibilities are not met. Of course, your child will require guidance; but once your explain what the consequences will be, it’s best to let them play out.

FAIRNESS

Leaders need to be fair and just. Being too rigid and unbending is not the best way to teach your kids about fairness, but being too permissive encourages a child to put himself first. Help them to understand what is fair and what isn’t, and how sometimes being fair means being firm even when your child or others might get upset.

NEGOTIATION

Have you thought about the importance of negotiation skills in leadership? Leaders understand the necessity for give and take and that often means compromise, Think about it: government leaders, particularly the president, need to be well-versed in the art of negotiation. It’s okay to discuss your child’s wants and desires. – Allow your children to present a convincing argument as to why they think they should have whatever it is, or participate in an activity. Be prepared to allow yourself to be “talked into” something now and then!

ORGANIZATION

Being organized is essential to good leadership. Teach your children how to prioritize tasks and organize their time. Explain how to use calendars to keep things straight, and show how time can be organized in different ways when prioritizing tasks.

Children need to be taught how to organize priorities in terms of immediate and future goals. In the category of organization is also the concept of making lists. Have your children make lists of what tasks they plan to complete each day and then in one week. This also helps break tasks down into steps – maybe your child has a book report or research paper due one or two weeks from now. Helping your child break that down into weekly and daily steps can be useful- not only in accomplishing the completing of the task, but also in instilling the leadership skill of organization.

COMMUNICATION

This is a vital skill for leadership. Leaders must express their goals and their vision for whatever project or task they are leading or coordinating. They can’t expect others to read their minds or carry out instructions without direction. Teach your kids good communication and listening skills by encouraging them to share their thoughts even if you disagree, and by actively listening yourself. Both you and your child will be happier and more successful.

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