by Dr. M

Created on: August 20, 2007

Preparing Your Child for Middle School

"It's usually the last ounce of effort that tips the scales of success."
- Rick Beneteau

The monumental transition from elementary school to middle school is an immense undertaking: Students are going from having one teacher all day long to five or six teachers while moving from class to class, lugging textbooks, and becoming more independent. Many questions arise as we prepare our youth for the educational world of middle school: "What classes should my child take? Will my child be successful in middle school? Who do we contact? What support systems are in place at the middle school? How do we make sure our child stays organized?" To prepare your child for middle school, the following suggestions are offered:

The preparation for middle school should begin at the end of the last year before entering middle school-usually 5th grade if entering a middle school which consists of 6th-8th grades. During 5th grade students need to begin preparing for the independent life of middles school. Because the courses within middle school prepare our teenagers for high school, relevant courses to meet those needs should be taken beginning in 6th grade. For example, if your student wishes to meet requirements to attend the university, he/she will need to take honors and advanced placement courses in high school. Consequently, during 6th-8th grade your student needs to obtain higher academic marks, which will prepare him/her for the demands of honors English, a foreign language, and higher levels of math and science courses, which begin in the 9th grade and continue throughout the four years of high school. Thus, in collaboration with your child, begin in-depth discussion about careers, the possibilities of rigorous course work, and start explorations into your child's skills and talents.

The next step to take at the end of the 5th grade year is to visit the middle school, meet your child's new counselor, and set up a time with the counselor to meet and plan your child's middle school courses-the courses necessary to meet your child's academic needs. During this time, you and your child can get acquainted with the counselor; you and your child can also become acclimated to the new school. Also, during this visit explore extracurricular opportunities for your child to stay socially active while in middle school. If possible, plan on your student attending a summer school course, which will allow him/her to become familiar with the new school,

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