Six Things You Can Do to Help Your Child Prepare for Middle School

The dreaded and highly anticipated first day of middle school is drawing near. Your child is trying to be nonchalant, but inside, he's dying. You want to help him, and you can. Just do these six things:

First: Educate yourself about the differences between elementary and middle school.

Elementary school is basically a safe haven where kids have one or two teachers and spend their entire day in self contained classrooms with fewer than 20 students. Pupils are escorted to each class in adult led groups, and their teachers are motherly and protective. In these schools, good grades are easily obtained and competition is minimal. It's a warm, fuzzy experience.

In middle school, students deal with six or seven teachers daily. They must navigate on their own during the school day. The school is bigger and the classes can be twice the size of those in elementary school. Furthermore, there are different students in each class.

There are many rules to follow and they are strictly enforced. Discipline is firm and students must work hard to earn grades.

Because of the sheer numbers involved, students must learn to deal with a plethora of different personalities.

Schedules are firm: 47 minutes per class, 4 minutes to get from one class to the next, and 30 minutes for lunch. No exceptions.

Second: Take time to meet your child's teachers before the first day of school.

Most parents wait until back to school night to meet their child's teachers. However, it's much better to meet with them prior to the first day of school. This tells parents who they are dealing with, and gives them one on one time for sharing important information about their children.

I once had a student who was deaf. Several months into the school year her mother called to complain that I wasn't meeting her daughter's needs. The girl hid her handicap very well, so I had no idea it even existed. Clearly, either the girl or her mother should have informed me about this. Teachers are not mind readers.

Third: Make sure your child has basic school supplies.

Sending a child to the first day of school without basic supplies will cause unnecessary problems for him. Since many teachers give supply lists to students on the first day of school, parents often choose to wait before purchasing items their children may need. This wastes time and leaves a child with no way of taking notes or doing any first day assignments. It also irritates teachers.

This is an area where common sense should prevail. At the very least, children should come to school with sharpened pencils, erasers, a notebook and some notebook paper.

They should also arrive with an index card taped to the inside of their notebook that has their clearly printed parent's names, the address of their residence, and home and parental work phone numbers. All teachers need this information, but younger students rarely know it. This simple tip helps all of them.

Fourth: Buy a combination lock and let your child practice with it.

Most schools provide combination locks, but new students generally have problems with them. By practicing ahead of time, children can access their lockers and protect their belongings without issue from day one. If the school does not provide locks, then the family lock will be available for immediate use.

Fifth: Talk with your child about the importance of being on time.

Since middle school schedules are strict, it's important for students to arrive at school on time and do the same when showing up for class. If they get into the habit of doing this, they will always be seated and ready when class begins and thus won't miss any learning opportunities.

Sixth: Make sure your child is clean and dressed appropriately.

Children who arrive at school dirty or who smell are not treated well by other students. The same is true for those who come dressed in clothing that is too tight, too revealing or too vulgar.

Clothing does not have to be expensive or trendy, but it does need to be clean. Since all children want to be accepted, this advice will go a long way towards achieving that goal.

In middle school, first impressions really do count. A parent who motivates teachers and students to view his son or daughter favorably, offers up a precious gift that will help his child to find success on the first day of school as well as all of the days that follow.