Ten Ideas to Help Your Child be Successful in Middle School

Middle school is more than a waiting period between elementary school and high school. Intellectually, physically, socially and emotionally, our children become young adults before our eyes, and these changes come faster than at any other time in their lives other than infancy. Watching this transition can be both exciting and frustrating. Your son or daughter will be confused, confident, rebellious, cooperative, self-righteous, uncertain, joyful, sad and five or six other things all in the same day. So, how do we support them in their growing independence, guide them without smothering them, and patiently await for the emergence of a person ready for high school? Below are a few ideas to help.

1. Back to School: At the start of the school year, make time for your child to go to school and organize his/her locker. Place school materials and books in the locker and organize them. This will help him/her to start the year off being well-organized.

2. 1st Week of School: During the first week of school, take time to read all information and hand-outs that come home with your child. Although this can be a tiring and hectic time, the information from your child's teachers will help you determine if you purchased the right materials, as well as familiarize you with grading policies and teacher expectations.

3. Open House and Parent Teacher Conferences: Attend open house and parent teacher conferences at your child's school. These events will help you put a teacher's name with a face and inform you of expectations for the class and teacher. At conferences all students, those who are doing well and those who aren't, will benefit from the opportunity to ask teachers for specific ideas to help them improve and grow academically.

4. Join the PTO: Meeting with other parents and comparing notes is a great way to get advice as well as be involved in your child's school life with-out being seen as interfering. You'll be better informed about what is going on in the school and even have the opportunity to offer your own ideas and experience.

5. Organization at School: Some students will benefit from a visit to their locker one to two times per grading period to clean and organize. Have your child go through his/her folders, notebooks, and binders to clean and organize. Many students at this age already know how to organize; however, some do not and have to be taught how to do this.

6. Organization at Home: Work toward having your child organize his/her backpack and school items at night rather than in the morning. This process will teach your child to plan ahead and will reduce headaches in the morning.

7. Monitoring of Homework: The number one reason that students struggle academically in middle school is due to late and/or missing assignments. If your child's grades start to slip, set an expectation with your child that he/she fills out their assignment notebook at school daily, for every class. Review your child's assignment notebook each day with him or her. If he/she indicates that an assignment is complete establish the "show me" policy to ensure that the assignment is complete. As the assignment notebook becomes more routine, you should let your son or daughter take more responsibility for self-monitoring.

8. Report Cards: Review report cards with your child. Make sure to focus on areas of success, as well as areas in need of improvement. Students should set realistic goals for performance and have a plan to reach those goals. Praise and positive reinforcement will go a long way.

9. School to Home Communication: Read school newsletters. These are ways that educators communicate with parents through-out the school year. 10. Get Extra Help ASAP: Some students find the transition from elementary school to middle school a challenge. If your child is struggling, get help as soon as possible. Encourage your son or daughter to make an appointment with the teacher in areas where there are concerns. Inquire about after school homework programs or tutoring offered in the district or community.

During this time of rapid growth in maturity the two most important hints for success are to be patient and help your child work toward independence. The middle school years are crucial to development, and you and your child's teachers can work together to make middle school a pleasant experience.