Academic

7 Steps to Getting Your Child on Track in Middle School

Middle school is a time of big changes — new schedules, new responsibilities, and growing independence. Here are seven practical steps parents can take to help their child stay focused, organized, and confident.

1. Offer Hands-On Guidance

• Be your child’s biggest supporter — and help them learn to advocate for themselves.

• Stay involved by checking in on homework and progress, but let them take ownership.

Ask guiding questions like:

“Where are you going to start?”

“What information do you need?”

“What worked and what didn’t?”

This helps your child develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills

2. Help Them Get Organized

• Organization is key to success in middle school.

• Create a simple system for managing homework and papers (e.g., a binder with folders for “to turn in” and “returned work”).

• Encourage your child to use a planner or digital calendar to track assignments.

If organization remains a challenge, reach out to their teachers or counselor for strategies and support.

3. Teach Time-Management Skills

• Help your child learn how to break large tasks into smaller, manageable steps.

• Use their planner to schedule parts of long-term projects.

• Encourage realistic time estimates for each task.

Suggest study breaks and reflection on what’s working — or when extra help may be needed.

4. Develop Note-Taking Skills

• Good notes make a huge difference in learning. Encourage your child to:

• Start a new page for each class each day.

• Focus on key ideas instead of full sentences.

• Create abbreviations and symbols for faster note-taking.

• Review notes after class for accuracy.

• Pre-reading textbook sections (headings, summaries, captions) also helps build comprehension.

5. Strengthen Study Habits

• Studying effectively takes practice!

• Promote active learning — highlighting, creating flashcards, or using sticky notes.

• Help your child discover when they focus best (morning or evening).

• Make studying fun — try mnemonics or games to help memorize key information.

6. Meet with the Teacher(s)

• If challenges arise, schedule a meeting with your child’s teacher or counselor. Open communication ensures everyone is working together to support your child’s success.

7. Consider Tutoring Support

• If your child continues to struggle despite extra effort, a tutor might be a great next step. Tutoring can build confidence, fill in learning gaps, and reinforce skills at your child’s pace.