In addition to our transition activities at school, here are some good suggestions from Bruce Anderson of Edutopia for parents of rising 6th graders:
How parents can help children make the big change from elementary to middle school. –Bruce Anderson
Making the transition to middle school is a real challenge for many students. After all, they are accustomed to one or two teachers per year and staying in a single classroom all day. Being the oldest kids in the school, they’re used to being on the top rung. Students feel comfortable and at-home because they know many of the other students, teachers, and administrators. Now, they’re entering a world that’s much more complex with many more opportunities for success or failure.
Naturally, they’re scared. Kids worry about having more homework, making good grades, getting lost on a new campus, or social challenges. The knowledge that they are entering a whole new social world, the fear of rejection, and wondering how to make new friends can cause anxiety. This is a transitional time in their physical and mental development as well. Know ahead of time that these kids will need support, encouragement, and information about what they are going to experience.
Suggestions for Parents
Here are some suggestions for parents that can work well in conjunction with your school’s orientation.
How parents can help children make the big change from elementary to middle school. –Bruce Anderson
Making the transition to middle school is a real challenge for many students. After all, they are accustomed to one or two teachers per year and staying in a single classroom all day. Being the oldest kids in the school, they’re used to being on the top rung. Students feel comfortable and at-home because they know many of the other students, teachers, and administrators. Now, they’re entering a world that’s much more complex with many more opportunities for success or failure.
Naturally, they’re scared. Kids worry about having more homework, making good grades, getting lost on a new campus, or social challenges. The knowledge that they are entering a whole new social world, the fear of rejection, and wondering how to make new friends can cause anxiety. This is a transitional time in their physical and mental development as well. Know ahead of time that these kids will need support, encouragement, and information about what they are going to experience.
Suggestions for Parents
Here are some suggestions for parents that can work well in conjunction with your school’s orientation.
- Listen to your child and draw them out about their experiences, their successes, and their fears. Share information about your own transition to middle school, and reassure them that the changes won’t seem so overwhelming forever. Praise them for their successes; support them when they feel that they’ve failed.
- Help your child become oriented in the much larger world of middle school. Take a walk to look around, so they will know how the rooms are numbered, where the cafeteria and the gym are, where the bus stop is, etc. Your company on that first exploration will be very reassuring.
- Middle school means more classes, more subjects, and more homework. Look at how your student is organizing his/her books and binders, and offer tips for more effective organization. Show them how to organize their binder by subject. Talk about how to schedule free time to have fun and get homework done too. Let them know that help is available if needed.
- Give lots of emotional support. Making new friends, keeping old friends, navigating the social environment, coping with competition - your support can really help while your child makes his/her way in this new world. Give specific praise. For example, “You are really doing a good job on your homework.” Point out his/her strengths and accomplishments. If they seem discouraged or scared, use open-ended questions to help them find solutions to the problems they’ve encountered.
- Be prepared to support your child for an extended time period. The challenges and fears that result from this transition don’t vanish immediately.