Back to School - Preparing for Middle School
Glen Gilderman, author of the book Managing Middle School Madness - Helping Teachers and parents understand the "Wonder Years", takes a look at how parents can begin to prepare their children for middle school. He addresses some key ideas to ease the transition from elementary school to middle school.
It’s that time of year – BACK TO SCHOOL! While this phrase generally makes teachers and students cringe, it is a time to start to look at getting your child ready for starting the school year.
During the summer months, kids fall out of the routine of the school year. August is the time to get them moving back into a routine. Some suggestions for the month of August for future middle schoolers:
1) Start with bedtime. Most adolescents get into the habit of staying up late and getting up late. Most Middle and High schools start their day earlier than noon! Start the transition by setting a reasonable bedtime and moving it up by 10 -15 minutes a day until you get to the school night bedtime. In order to start the year off right, students need to be well rested and their systems should not be in shock from a sudden change in bedtimes. A gradual change will help them start the year off right.
2) Get them reading. If your daughter/son doesn’t read a lot, it’s a great idea to get them reading in the month of August. This will "shake the rust off" their academic minds. Let them choose a book or magazine that interests them and commit to at least 30 minutes a day.
3) Take a look at the school website together, especially if it’s a new school. This tip will take some of the nervousness out of starting at a new school. If you can visit before the other students are there, that could also be a great help. Seeing the school empty, or with only teachers getting ready for their year might reduce anxiety.
4) Talk about concerns. Ask your child if they are nervous about anything. Be careful not to minimize. If you say it’s no big deal, they may not want to tell you about future concerns because they will think you'll think they're being a "baby". Just listen and exchange ideas about what to do.
These are just a few ideas about how to ease the transition into the upcoming school year. Watch for future articles on middle school friends, bullying, becoming a better student and other topics.
Glen Gilderman is an 8th grade social studies teacher and author who lives in Duluth, Minnesota. You can learn more about his book Managing Middle School Madness – Helping Teachers and Parents Understand the "Wonder Years" at:
http://pages.mhlearningnetwork.com/ggilderman/id2.html
During the summer months, kids fall out of the routine of the school year. August is the time to get them moving back into a routine. Some suggestions for the month of August for future middle schoolers:
1) Start with bedtime. Most adolescents get into the habit of staying up late and getting up late. Most Middle and High schools start their day earlier than noon! Start the transition by setting a reasonable bedtime and moving it up by 10 -15 minutes a day until you get to the school night bedtime. In order to start the year off right, students need to be well rested and their systems should not be in shock from a sudden change in bedtimes. A gradual change will help them start the year off right.
2) Get them reading. If your daughter/son doesn’t read a lot, it’s a great idea to get them reading in the month of August. This will "shake the rust off" their academic minds. Let them choose a book or magazine that interests them and commit to at least 30 minutes a day.
3) Take a look at the school website together, especially if it’s a new school. This tip will take some of the nervousness out of starting at a new school. If you can visit before the other students are there, that could also be a great help. Seeing the school empty, or with only teachers getting ready for their year might reduce anxiety.
4) Talk about concerns. Ask your child if they are nervous about anything. Be careful not to minimize. If you say it’s no big deal, they may not want to tell you about future concerns because they will think you'll think they're being a "baby". Just listen and exchange ideas about what to do.
These are just a few ideas about how to ease the transition into the upcoming school year. Watch for future articles on middle school friends, bullying, becoming a better student and other topics.
Glen Gilderman is an 8th grade social studies teacher and author who lives in Duluth, Minnesota. You can learn more about his book Managing Middle School Madness – Helping Teachers and Parents Understand the "Wonder Years" at:
http://pages.mhlearningnetwork.com/ggilderman/id2.html
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