The Middle school years your child will need to becme more independent and
learn to work wtih others; a time when your child will take important steps
in preparation for his/her future educational endeavors.
Continue to encourage your child to read. Consider using books as gifts and
rewards. Books on tape, digital books, or downloadable books are a great
tool for many kids.
Make learning a priority in your household
The tools necessary to successfully learn, and retain, the information your
child is taught each day at school. These will include the negotiation of
study time and place. The right time to study will vary from child to child
with some preferring to work right after school and others needing a break
and preferring evening study time. The ideal place to study will also vary
and might include your child’s room or the kitchen or dining room table.
Help your child develop good study habits
The tools necessary to successfully learn, and retain, the information your
child is taught each day at school. These will include the negotiation of
study time and place. The right time to study will vary from child to child
with some preferring to work right after school and others needing a break
and preferring evening study time. The ideal place to study will also vary
and might include your child’s room or the kitchen or dining room table.
Make sure the area is well lit. Eliminate, or minimize, distractions; this
will improve your child’s ability to concentrate on their work. This becomes
more challenging as older students become accustomed to “texting” on cell
phones and playing video games while studying. Beware; though they may claim
they are multi-tasking”they are often not devoting the necessary attention to
their work.
Help them organize and prepare
Make use of a large calendar -one that allows space for documenting what is
to be accomplished on a daily basis. Then refer to the calendar with your
child to make note of what has been done in a timely fashion and what remains
to be done. This practice can be used for large projects as well; break the
large project down into manageable tasks done on a scheduled basis until
completion. All students can benefit from this activity but it will be of
particular significance to those with identified attentional issues.