Summary
- Promote good organization and homework structure.
- Attend any orientations and transition programs offered.
- Help your child become more independent.
You sent your child off to the first day of kindergarten and survived. Now that their in the fifth or sixth grade, elementary school is old hat to both of you, isn’t it? Now it’s time for another change: middle school. Middle school is a place where your child will likely be:
- The youngest again
- Starting puberty
- Developing skills to prepare for high school
Are you ready for all this and more? Here are some ideas for helping your child cope with the big move up.
Helpful hints
Try to imagine middle school as a dress rehearsal for high school. Here your child might have their first taste of:
- Independence and more responsibility
- More challenging classes and more homework
- A different teacher and classmates for each subject
- A choice of electives and extracurricular activities
- New rules with sterner consequences
How can you help your young one prepare for this? For starters, get them organized. Try some of the following:
- Set aside a quiet spot for homework. Stock it with supplies.
- Stick to a regular homework time.
- Give them a planner. Have them write in assignments, test dates, etc.
- Teach them to clean out their backpack regularly.
You can also help them become more independent and responsible at home by:
- Increasing their chores with fewer reminders from you
- Giving them an allowance and teaching them how to budget their money
- Exposing them to new interests such as sports, musical instruments and hobbies. Let them choose which activities to participate in
The three “Rs”
Is your child ready for middle school classes? Consider hiring a tutor if their reading, writing or math abilities aren’t on grade level. Other ways to help are to:
- Have family reading time each day.
- Feed their interests with family field trips to museums, the library, etc.
- Encourage them to write letters to relatives or a pen pal.
- Buy a few fun workbooks or games to build math skills.
The big move
You and your child might both be anxious about learning new routines. Include them in any transition programs offered during the last year of elementary school. Often, students are invited to tour the middle school and meet the principal and other administrators. Your student might get to shadow a middle school student or visit a few classes. If you can, volunteer to take part in the transition program. You can also:
- Spend a day observing classes.
- Arrange a meeting between you, a middle school counselor and your child.
- Talk to a middle school official about the curriculum and how classes affect the high school curriculum.
- Get a school handbook, if one exists.
- Interview parents of middle school students.
Most of all
Your child faces many changes over the next several years. Talk to them positively about the changes, including their own development. They need your love and support, although they might not know how to tell you so.
Adolescence can be a difficult time for many children. Praise and recognize your child’s achievements, no matter how small. You can also encourage communication with:
- Family dinners where each person talks about their day
- Special outings with just you and your child
- Sharing your own middle school experiences
Remember, you did survive kindergarten and so did your child. Middle school will soon be a thing of the past … then there’s high school.
Summary
- Promote good organization and homework structure.
- Attend any orientations and transition programs offered.
- Help your child become more independent.
You sent your child off to the first day of kindergarten and survived. Now that their in the fifth or sixth grade, elementary school is old hat to both of you, isn’t it? Now it’s time for another change: middle school. Middle school is a place where your child will likely be:
- The youngest again
- Starting puberty
- Developing skills to prepare for high school
Are you ready for all this and more? Here are some ideas for helping your child cope with the big move up.
Helpful hints
Try to imagine middle school as a dress rehearsal for high school. Here your child might have their first taste of:
- Independence and more responsibility
- More challenging classes and more homework
- A different teacher and classmates for each subject
- A choice of electives and extracurricular activities
- New rules with sterner consequences
How can you help your young one prepare for this? For starters, get them organized. Try some of the following:
- Set aside a quiet spot for homework. Stock it with supplies.
- Stick to a regular homework time.
- Give them a planner. Have them write in assignments, test dates, etc.
- Teach them to clean out their backpack regularly.
You can also help them become more independent and responsible at home by:
- Increasing their chores with fewer reminders from you
- Giving them an allowance and teaching them how to budget their money
- Exposing them to new interests such as sports, musical instruments and hobbies. Let them choose which activities to participate in
The three “Rs”
Is your child ready for middle school classes? Consider hiring a tutor if their reading, writing or math abilities aren’t on grade level. Other ways to help are to:
- Have family reading time each day.
- Feed their interests with family field trips to museums, the library, etc.
- Encourage them to write letters to relatives or a pen pal.
- Buy a few fun workbooks or games to build math skills.
The big move
You and your child might both be anxious about learning new routines. Include them in any transition programs offered during the last year of elementary school. Often, students are invited to tour the middle school and meet the principal and other administrators. Your student might get to shadow a middle school student or visit a few classes. If you can, volunteer to take part in the transition program. You can also:
- Spend a day observing classes.
- Arrange a meeting between you, a middle school counselor and your child.
- Talk to a middle school official about the curriculum and how classes affect the high school curriculum.
- Get a school handbook, if one exists.
- Interview parents of middle school students.
Most of all
Your child faces many changes over the next several years. Talk to them positively about the changes, including their own development. They need your love and support, although they might not know how to tell you so.
Adolescence can be a difficult time for many children. Praise and recognize your child’s achievements, no matter how small. You can also encourage communication with:
- Family dinners where each person talks about their day
- Special outings with just you and your child
- Sharing your own middle school experiences
Remember, you did survive kindergarten and so did your child. Middle school will soon be a thing of the past … then there’s high school.
Summary
- Promote good organization and homework structure.
- Attend any orientations and transition programs offered.
- Help your child become more independent.
You sent your child off to the first day of kindergarten and survived. Now that their in the fifth or sixth grade, elementary school is old hat to both of you, isn’t it? Now it’s time for another change: middle school. Middle school is a place where your child will likely be:
- The youngest again
- Starting puberty
- Developing skills to prepare for high school
Are you ready for all this and more? Here are some ideas for helping your child cope with the big move up.
Helpful hints
Try to imagine middle school as a dress rehearsal for high school. Here your child might have their first taste of:
- Independence and more responsibility
- More challenging classes and more homework
- A different teacher and classmates for each subject
- A choice of electives and extracurricular activities
- New rules with sterner consequences
How can you help your young one prepare for this? For starters, get them organized. Try some of the following:
- Set aside a quiet spot for homework. Stock it with supplies.
- Stick to a regular homework time.
- Give them a planner. Have them write in assignments, test dates, etc.
- Teach them to clean out their backpack regularly.
You can also help them become more independent and responsible at home by:
- Increasing their chores with fewer reminders from you
- Giving them an allowance and teaching them how to budget their money
- Exposing them to new interests such as sports, musical instruments and hobbies. Let them choose which activities to participate in
The three “Rs”
Is your child ready for middle school classes? Consider hiring a tutor if their reading, writing or math abilities aren’t on grade level. Other ways to help are to:
- Have family reading time each day.
- Feed their interests with family field trips to museums, the library, etc.
- Encourage them to write letters to relatives or a pen pal.
- Buy a few fun workbooks or games to build math skills.
The big move
You and your child might both be anxious about learning new routines. Include them in any transition programs offered during the last year of elementary school. Often, students are invited to tour the middle school and meet the principal and other administrators. Your student might get to shadow a middle school student or visit a few classes. If you can, volunteer to take part in the transition program. You can also:
- Spend a day observing classes.
- Arrange a meeting between you, a middle school counselor and your child.
- Talk to a middle school official about the curriculum and how classes affect the high school curriculum.
- Get a school handbook, if one exists.
- Interview parents of middle school students.
Most of all
Your child faces many changes over the next several years. Talk to them positively about the changes, including their own development. They need your love and support, although they might not know how to tell you so.
Adolescence can be a difficult time for many children. Praise and recognize your child’s achievements, no matter how small. You can also encourage communication with:
- Family dinners where each person talks about their day
- Special outings with just you and your child
- Sharing your own middle school experiences
Remember, you did survive kindergarten and so did your child. Middle school will soon be a thing of the past … then there’s high school.