Rigorous Requirements
Middle school means the introduction of rich, complex new material — so kids need to be ready.
At this point your child should be a comfortable reader, fluent writer, and skilled mathematician capable of working with whole numbers, decimals, fractions, and percentages. He should be able to work independently and collaboratively, conduct research, take notes, organize information, and synthesize what he learns with what he already knows. Such skills are essential for the demanding work that lies ahead. "When children enter sixth grade, they'll be faced with a lot of new content information, new vocabulary, and text books that are often very hard to read," says Laura Robb, a teacher of 37 years from Winchester, Virginia, and author of several Scholastic books, including Teaching Reading in Middle School. Teachers like to see children who can perform the following skills in the following areas:
Reading, Writing and Communication
- Read and discuss work from different literary genres, such as fiction, nonfiction, myths, poems, plays, and biographies
- Reflect on what has been learned through reading and formulate ideas, opinions, and personal responses
- Write reports, summaries, descriptive and persuasive essays, stories, poems
- Write clear and well-organized research papers, integrating a variety of information
- Submit final drafts with correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling
- Recognize sentence fragments and run-ons
- Give an oral report to the class
- Participate in group discussions
- Take notes, organize, summarize, and paraphrase ideas and details
- Use reference materials such as books, magazines, and electronic databases
Math and Science
- Add, subtract, multiply, and divide whole numbers, fractions, decimals and percentages Solve equations with one variable
- Write and solve equations for word problems
- Design experiments with controls and variables to support or refute a hypothesis
- Collect, record, analyze, and interpret scientific data
Equally important is a child's sense of engagement and motivation, which teachers can foster through classes that build on a student's high energy level, curiosity, and interests. "Most middle school students relish the opportunity to be actively involved in research, reading, writing, talking, and thinking about topics that are relevant to their lives," says Robb. "If teachers can channel that energy, turn them on to learning, and give them support that can move them forward, students will make progress."
Great Expectations
The middle school curriculum represents a critical transition phase in a child's education. It summarizes what has come before and prepares the way for more advanced study. Initially, some of the work may seem like review, but soon instruction in all subjects will intensify and expand into areas that will deepen a child's understanding. Students will be introduced to lots of increasingly rich and complex material, which they'll be expected to compare, analyze, and remember for tests. There will be more homework, independent reading, and research projects and reports. While some children thrive on these kinds of challenges, some find the transition to middle school difficult.
A Range of Abilities
Despite high expectations, the range of academic abilities is still broad in middle school. In math, for example, some seventh-graders will still need practice dividing and multiplying fractions and decimals, while others will be ready for algebra. In writing, some sixth-graders will be able to produce well-constructed essays and reports, while others will still be struggling with basic paragraph construction. Reading levels vary too, with some sixth-graders reading at a third-grade level, and others at an eighth-grade level.
To accommodate differences, many middle schools separate students into different level classes where those who struggle receive special instruction. Still, middle-schoolers will have trouble keeping up if they:
- read well below grade level
- have trouble constructing paragraphs and writing in complete sentences
- don't understand the relationship between fractions, decimals, and percents
- have not been able to master multiplication and long division
- don't know how to find information in text books and other reference materials
If you sense that your child is struggling, talk to his teacher, guidance counselor or school principal about getting extra help. Find out, too, about ways you can work with your child at home to strengthen his skills and boost his confidence. According to teacher Laura Robb, keeping a child motivated and believing that he can learn and do well in school is key to his success. "Children turn away from school at this age when they're not successful," she explains. "It's important to give them learning experiences where they can be successful."
