How to Help Your Child Become a Successful Middle School Student
Middle school can be a difficult time for children due to a number of factors, including the often rocky transition between youth and adolescence and the demands of the academic workload combined with extracurricular activities such as sports.
The following list of online resources can help parents navigate the waters of middle school, which typically spans from 6th through 8th grade. The guide offers tips and suggestions related to study skills, reading, memory, and test/essay preparation. There is also a helpful list of online resources that focus on parental support.
Learn More About Essential Study Skills
GreatSchools.org is the country's leading source of information on school performance, offers tips on how to master middle school survival skills.
The University of North Carolina's guide on how to avoid study traps and excuses and get back to the books.
Read United's list of the 10 Best Study Habits for students of all ages, from Kindergarten all the way through high school, college, and beyond.
Reading
Close Reading: Tips on how to read a text closely. This can be used before writing an essay or independently.
Active Reading Strategies: A popular system that strengthens reading muscles and helps you to understand more of what you’re reading as you read it for the first time.
Test and Essay Prep
Author Annie Murphy Paul shares techniques on how to Ease Test Anxiety and become a better, more effective student.
Steps to Overcome Anxiety: A helpful guide to to overcoming anxiety.
Ten Terrific Test-Taking Tips: Helpful pointers on how to manage test stress.
Mapping the Essay: Harvard College's strategies for writing an essay.
Essay Test Strategies: A thorough tip sheet that walks the student through the essay exam from prewriting to looking for common keywords.
Parental Support
Parent Support: Parental support can greatly help our preteens navigate middle school, from attending back-to-school night to being aware of disciplinary policies.
Parental Tips from a Principal: Advice from a middle school principal on how to stay involved while your preteen becomes increasingly independent.
Let Them Sleep: The American Academy of Pediatrics says middle school-age students should get 9.5 hours of sleep per night, and anything less can result in a decline in academic performance.
Advice from Peers – An article in which older kids offer advice to incoming middle and high schoolers from The Learning Network at The New York Times.
The Mind of a Middle Schooler – Understanding the middle school child's brain.
College and Career Ready: The Association for Middle Level Education's article on what being college and career ready means for middle school students.
Choosing helpful school supplies
School is stressful enough without having to worry about having the right supplies to get through the school year. Giving students access to critical school supplies is a great way to reduce stress and help them focus on what's important: homework, note-taking, studying, and test taking. Bags In Bulk is a top provider of wholesale backpacks and bulk school supplies for donating to students in need through nonprofits, school administrators, and charitable organizations.
From basic school supplies like notebooks, folders, pencils and pens, to art supplies like markers, construction paper, glue, and rulers, to high school must-haves like calculators and sheet protectors for essays and reports, we've got everything kids need to succeed.
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About the Author
Jane Williamson has a Masters of Education from Northwestern University. She is the founder, instructor, and curriculum writer for a 10-week writing program for elementary school students.