Getting Ready for Middle School - Study Skills Tips for Parents Karen Schwartz & Monica Bright May 14, 2013

Middle School – What can I expect?  Sending your child off to middle school can be overwhelming and somewhat intimidating, but with a little preparation and know-how, your child will be successful, gain independence, and thrive!

Become a part of the school culture, environment, and activities! Parents:  Join PTSA  Volunteer for a committee*  School Dance  Front office help  School store  Copy help Students:  Participate in extracurricular activities*  Drama Club  Young Author’s Club  Environmental Club  Marketing Club  Chess Club  Art Club *Check your school’s website for a complete listing of clubs and committees

Get to know your child’s schedule  It’s important to know what classes your child is taking and who their teachers are.  Understand that “Connections” classes change every 9 weeks (Art, PE, Technology, etc).  Band/Chorus/Orchestra are full year classes

Sign Up for teacher’s Edmodo feeds Familiarize yourself with how to use Edmodo and check it on a regular basis. If your child is routinely forgetting assignments what their assignments are, you may need to check it daily

Now What??  Your child has begun school…  you know their teachers  you know their schedule  you’ve signed on to Edmodo…  What’s next?

Provide a place to study (It doesn't have to be a desk ) A kitchen counter is a great place, especially if a parent is in the kitchen cooking – provided there are limited distractions.

Exhibit A: What not to do

Exhibit B: What to aim for The desk or table surface should be big enough so that your student can spread out papers and books. Make sure essentials are accessible: Pens Paper Calculator Highlighters Limit Distractions of IPods/Phones, etc.

Help your child develop a system to keep track of important papers:  Establish a folder specifically for their homework they carry with them at all times - between classes and between home and school.  One side should be for assignments To Be Done, the other side should be for Work Completed.

Help your child develop a system to keep track of important papers (cont’d) Create an At Home Folder:  Clean out homework folder weekly, and file papers at home until the end of the 9 weeks  Set a time to do this regularly, such as Sunday Evenings

Make sure your child uses the School Agenda to keep track of assignments.  Help your child get in the habit of writing down each daily assignment in each subject and checking it off when it's complete  Model using an agenda, To Do List, and calendar for your own schedules

TIME MANAGEMENT: Keys to Success  Encourage your child to estimate how long each assignment will take.  Help your child break big projects into smaller ones.  Write it into their Agenda/Planner so they can see it visually  Help your child set priorities (school, extracurricular activities, free time, electronics, etc.)

Stay Connected!  Communicate with your child's teachers:  Ask for clarification on assignments  Utilize study sessions before school  Ask for extra help if needed  Take advantage tutoring opportunities  Check grades On-Line  Coming Soon to Synergy! Set parameters to have Grade Notifications sent to you by  Review Grades with your child weekly and make a plan or To Do List

Learn from Mistakes Test/Homework Assignment ClassMy Grade I did my class work & homework (Yes/No) I studied for tests (Yes/No) I paid attention in class (Yes/No) I asked for extra help (study sessions, tutoring, questions class) (Yes/No)

Celebrate the EFFORT and the SUCCESSES Create menu of items student can pick from when meeting with success, such as: Pick a favorite activity to do as a family Pick what is for dinner Earn extra time on preferred activity Earn time with parent one on one Develop a reward system for meeting with success to reinforce the behavior and encourage it to happen again

Other Helpful Hints  For any questions about your child in a specific class, please ask the Teacher. They are the first person to check with as they are most familiar with your child and the class content and work.  For any questions about how your child may be managing social/emotional aspects of school, the School Counselor is your best resource  For any discipline issues, the Administration would be your point of contact.

Attendance is critical to success!  Remember….students who are present in class every day and on time have the easiest adjustment to school transitions and will not get as overwhelmed by make up work if they get sick during the year.  Notes for illnesses, religious holidays, doctor’s appointments, etc., must be returned within 3 days of the return to school to be considered an excused absence.  Parents can monitor the attendance on Pinnacle to assure that the documentation has been coded appropriately, or determine if their child has missed school without their knowledge.

Useful Websites     

Thank you for coming!