Nov 28, 2017 by Yolanda Fontanez-Coleman | Learning Resources, Study Tips
Middle school years are often a challenging time for students. Many changes occur in middle school and it is no surprise that we often see a slip in grades. Students tend to have difficulty managing multiple classes and teachers. There are many ways we can help support our children during the middle school years. Here are some tips on how to help your child thrive during his or her middle school years!
1. Establish Good Study Habits:
Help your child establish good study habits. Understanding your child’s personality and learning style is important. Is he a visual learner? If so, he will benefit from color-coded study aids. Is he an auditory learner? If so, listening to lessons online may work for him. Be sure to make these learning and study tools available for your child.
2. Set Up Organizational Systems:
Being organized is key to school success. Encourage your child to use a planner or a calendar to document all of their homework assignments and projects.
Set up study times so they get in the habit of planning ahead and reduce the risk of cramming for projects and tests. Discover what works best for your child; every child is unique and what may work for one may not work for another child.
3. Talk Often:
Talk to your middle school student all the time! Show interest in their school subjects, sports, and extracurricular activities. Find out what they like and what they have no interest in. Keep this communication going all year long!
4. Set Expectations:
Communicate with your child and discuss your goals together. Establish goals together and post them somewhere so your child can refer to it regularly. Reading the goals weekly will keep them focused on achieving their goal.
Goals can range from not leaving homework for the last minute to studying 20 minutes daily. Be realistic when setting goals. Set the expectations high but be realistic while setting them. If the goal is unattainable it will only cause frustration and you risk losing motivation in your child.
5. Know Their Friends:
Do you know all of your child’s friends? Get to know all of your child’s friends. Set rules and be consistent. If you feel your child is hanging with the wrong crowd, follow your hunch and talk about your concerns with your child. Keeping your child safe is the priority.
Middle school is a challenging and exciting time in a child’s world. Parents can play a vital role in their academic success by demonstrating enthusiasm and excitement for their child. Parents need to remain very involved during their child’s middle school experience all the while promoting their responsibility, self-discovery and independence.