Students do not retain everything they have learned in the previous school year over their summer break.  Some of this information is critical to their success in the next grade. The ten things many middle school aged children tend to forget over summer include:

Study habits. If your child has developed good study and homework habits do not be surprised when he or she seems to have forgotten these at the beginning of the new school year. Most of the time these behaviors will return quickly however.

Math skills they learned the previous year. Simply spending a few hours a week during the summer practicing the equations they learned can help increase their retention.

Reading skills learned in the previous school year. Also reading only a few hours a week during the summer can help elementary maintain reading skills.

Grammar, punctuation, and spelling skills.

Students this age are often growing space between themselves and parents. They can easily forget to tell parents they want to sign up for a sport or other activity over the summer or before the new school year begins. Parents need to get a schedule of possible school activities for the upcoming school year and discuss this with their child during the summer.

Middle school children often forget information relating to new subjects they have been introduced to during the previous school year. If they were introduced to fractions for example, quizzing them over the summer with real world problems involving fractions can help them retain this new skill.

These students often tend to put subjects they have had difficulty with out of their minds. After all summer is about fun. While students need to be encouraged and you should emphasize their strengths, spending a little time on the more challenging subjects while there is no
pressure during the summer can help them improve greatly.

Subjects that involve memorizing facts and figures tend to be put out of mind during the summer. Often playing games during the summer break that involve these subjects can help your student retain important information.

Middle school children have safety rules they can forget during the break. Reminding them will often help them later, even over their objections!

These students forget many of the basic needs for the new school year such as getting the list of supplies needed, what text books if any, lunch money, back packs, jackets, umbrellas, and so on. Preparing these items before the first day of school can save you and them some headaches.

by David McLeod

Owner School-Supply-List.com and Elementary School Teacher

David has been teaching elementary school in Central Texas for over 7 years and has over 15 years of experience in online education related websites and blogs.

Many students advancing to sixth grade are leaving elementary school and transitioning to a middle school. There can be many changes involved in this promotion including a new school, new classmates, a different attendance schedule, moving about the school for classes, a locker, and numerous teachers for different subjects. The academic work might be more challenging and the homework load can be heavier. There are often more responsibilities too including those that require organizational skills for assignments and deadlines.

Organizational skills often make the difference at this age between students who excel and those who perform poorly. These same organizational skills will be needed in the future and developing good habits now will be of life-long value. You can help your child develop these organizational skills with tools that best fit his or her needs and preferences. For example a watch is often better than a cell phone for tracking time. A cell phone is often tucked away in a back pack or purse and not allowed in some schools and classrooms. A watch keeps the time readily available. A watch with hands is said to be more beneficial for grasping the concept of time than a digital read out watch.

Sixth grade students need to be proficient in oral and written language for expressive, informational, argumentative, and literary reasons. They should also be adept in grammar structure and rules and be able to speak and write correctly. They need to be able to interpret, form arguments and debate, and have a broad vocabulary.

Additional academic skills a student advancing to sixth grade needs include:
Multiply and divide common fractions and mixed numbers
Perform percentage problems
Formulas for circumference, radius, diameter, and area of a circle
Analyze dialogue, imagery and mood in literature
Read and summarize information
Create multi-paragraph compositions
Identify good writing
Your student entering sixth grade needs to “as smart as fifth grader!”

by David McLeod

Owner School-Supply-List.com and Elementary School Teacher

David has been teaching elementary school in Central Texas for over 7 years and has over 15 years of experience in online education related websites and blogs.

Many children have attended one elementary school that has been a safe haven filled with memories. Transitioning to middle school can cause a child to be nervous with anticipation. There will be many questions for your student and you. As much as many children at this age might shun their parent’s involvement, they often are looking to their parents to provide assurance and answers.

Developing a connection with your child’s new school and being involved in the transition will benefit you and your student. Visit the school before the school year begins. Attend and parent and student orientations. Find out who your student’s guidance counselor will be and schedule a meeting. Attend an open house and ask questions about, teachers, curriculum, classes and scheduling. Getting all the information you need and registering well before the first day of school can make this experience much smoother.

Find out about the supply requirements, lunch needs, and the school’s dress code before you go back to school shopping. Some students will require back packs, athletic wear for physical education, or even uniforms. Keep your child involved and let them make as many decisions as possible. This can be a time where your child can feel things are a bit out of their control so give them the reins as much as you can. Show them the school requirements and then let them make the buying decisions within adherence to school policy and your budget.

Discuss with your student what new personal responsibilities your child might have. There are often changes that demand students are more self reliant than in elementary school. Your student might be required to change classes throughout the day and need to know their schedule and the locations of many rooms. Your student might have a new mode of transportation and need to know bus schedules and rules.

Middle schools are often larger than elementary schools and your preteen will be at the bottom of the age food chain and possibly exposed to many new things. Discuss the basics of acceptable behavior, what they have learned about avoiding drugs, and what they should do when they encounter students who are violating school policy.

by David McLeod

Owner School-Supply-List.com and Elementary School Teacher

David has been teaching elementary school in Central Texas for over 7 years and has over 15 years of experience in online education related websites and blogs.