Children in Intermediate/Middle School

These sites provides parents/guardians with valuable information about how to help intermediate school students excel in school and prepare for future success.  Your children are our future Ventures Scholars!

Eighth Grade Students Underestimate College Preparation Needs
http://www.act.org/news/releases/2003/7-02-03.html
Most eighth grade students in the U.S. underestimate what classes they will need to take to prepare for college, according to survey research conducted by ACT.

What Do Students Want (and what really motivates them)?
http://www.middleweb.com/StdntMotv.html
Students who are engaged in their work are energized by four goals - success, curiosity, originality, and satisfying relationships. How do we cultivate these drives in the classroom?

Middle School Malaise
http://helping.apa.org/family/malaise.html
June. The end of the school year. For many children summer represents a critical transition between elementary and secondary education. It sounds fairly simple, but according to many educators and school psychologists the transition marks a point where some kids thrive and others begin a serious downward spiral.

Preparing Middle School Students For A Career
http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content4/middle.school.career.htm
Middle schools are designed to help young adolescents in several ways. The schools continue the learning that students began in elementary school. They support students as they mature physically and face the emotional problems that accompany puberty. They also help students understand how their current educational and personal choices will affect their future life roles, in particular their choices for a career, because middle schools provide youth with the skills, self-esteem, and attitudes they need for a rewarding work life.

Supporting Students in Their Transition to Middle School
http://www.nmsa.org/news/transition.html
Moving from an elementary school to a middle school is experienced by more than 88% of public school students as they begin the middle grades. This time of transition evokes a wide variety of emotions, behaviors, and concerns for both young adolescents and their parents. For many students it's considered a major stepping-stone on the road to becoming an adult. For teachers and principals, it is an opportunity to have a fresh start with students and to introduce them to the culture and expectations of their new school in a way that promotes positive behavior and involvement.

Preparing for Middle School
http://www.schoolcounselor.org/content.cfm?L1=1000&L2=67
Transitioning from elementary to middle school brings many questions and concerns for both parents and students. Moving up to middle or junior high school can be both scary and exciting. Parents can help their preteens prepare for this monumental transition by gathering information and staying involved in their child's education.

Taking the Right Courses For College Starts in Middle School
http://www.executiveparent.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/grades_6-8/article1092.html?E+scstore
By the time a child is in sixth grade, families should start talking about going to college. Make it clear that you expect your children to go to college, and together start planning how to get there. Everyone knows that high school courses and grades count for admission to college, but many people don't realize that a college education also builds on the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier years. Your child should plan a high school course schedule early, in the sixth or seventh grade.

What Should My Middle Schooler Be Learning to Do?
http://www.laamp.org/parent/middle.html
What should I be doing each year at school? What should I do if my child has a problem at school? What are some questions I can ask my Middle Schooler? What do I look for in a good Middle School? What can I do if my Student is not meeting High Standards? How can I encourage my Middle School student to prepare for college?

Selecting the Right Courses in Middle School: How to Get a Leg Up on the Competition!
http://www.tbec.org/gearupguide/choosingmiddle.htm
In order for students and their parents to prepare for a college education, it is crucial that they begin planning as early as possible. Most people realize that early preparations are important especially with regards to financing an education, but truth be told, one of the most important aspects that should be addressed early in a child's education is the courses that a student takes. By the time the child is about to exit the sixth grade, parents should sit down and try to evaluate which courses their child can take in middle school that will lay down the foundation for success in obtaining entrance into the higher education system.

Surviving Middle School
http://www.aspennj.org/midsch.html
The move from elementary school to middle school is a tough one for our children and for us as parents. Middle schools are larger, there are more students, and the change may be disorienting for our children. In elementary school, children spend most of the day with one teacher who has more time to get to know each child, see problems developing, and learn what teaching methods work and don't work for a child. In middle school, our children have different teachers for each class, teachers see more students and have less time to get to know them. Here the work is more difficult, abstract, expectations are greater, and homework increases.