Middle school is a time of transition for students. As they become ready to move from elementary to middle school, these children undergo enormous developmental changes ranging from physical and cognitive to emotional and social. Though these changes can be bewildering for parents, it’s the time when children will need parental support more than ever to adapt to the changes and navigate various scenarios with confidence.
When students move from an elementary to a middle school, they face changes in their educational environment. But that’s not all. They are also maturing and shifting into a new phase of learning ability and expectations. As their brain matures, how they learn changes. Additionally, they develop personal interests and attitudes toward education. Guiding and supporting them through this transitional phase involves encouraging prioritizing, time management, decision-making, and self-advocacy skills.
Parents planning to enroll their kids in online middle schools can take the following steps to ensure a smooth transition.
Talk to the Kid
Parents need to talk to their kids to find out their unique educational needs. Understanding what type of learners (auditory, visual, kinesthetic, etc.) they are is equally crucial. Additionally, parents should encourage their children to voice their concerns, if any, regarding the transition from elementary to middle school.
Knowing the academic needs, preferences, and concerns of learners can help parents ensure the school they consider fits the bill just right.
Research and Shortlist Online Middle Schools
When researching and comparing online middle schools, parents should focus on the curriculum, accreditation, qualification of the teachers and support staff, flexibility and convenience on offer, technical requirements to access the course, credit acceptance, and course fees.
Customer support is another vital factor to assess how quickly and efficiently issues are addressed. Shortlisting and comparing online middle schools on these criteria will help parents take a final pick.
Set up a Dedicated Learning Space
Parents need to give their children a distraction-free, well-lit, and comfortable learning space. A suitable device to access study materials online (which could be a desktop, tablet, or laptop), adequate study supplies (notebook, pencil/pen, ruler, eraser, etc.), storage space to keep everything necessary handy, and a fast and stable internet connection are other requirements to take care of.
By giving their children a consistent location as their study space that’s interruption- and distraction-free, parents can help their kids focus better on their learning.
Make the Kid Familiar with Online Platforms and Resources
Parents need to have a basic knowledge of how online middle schools work and what resources will be made available to their children. This will help them make their kids understand how to navigate the online learning platforms, use the available resources optimally, and seek help from teachers or career coaches if they feel stuck or need guidance.
From how to log into the online middle school’s learning platform and access course materials to submitting coursework and seeking help through the Help Center, students should get familiar with all of them. Parents should also check how they can track their child’s performance and implement teachers’ feedback to ensure the kid stays on top of things.
Encourage Creating a Routine and Staying Organized
To maximize their online learning experience, middle school students should develop a routine and stick to it. Staying organized is equally vital. Parents can help their children do these by directing them to online tools and resources and offering suggestions and guidance.
Setting a specific time for learning sessions is the basis of creating a study routine. Parents can help students break bigger tasks into manageable chunks and allot time blocks to each of these chunks. From listening to a recorded lesson and noting the key points to answering questions at the end and revising the lesson after a few days, everything should find a place in the routine.
Parents can even help students find online tools like to-do lists, calendars, and reminders to keep track of deadlines and
assignments, ensuring they stay organized and on top of their workload. Though maintaining consistency in the routine is important, parents should let their children understand how to be flexible and make necessary adjustments to accommodate any sudden challenges or changes. Teaching them about goal setting, time management, motivation, and self-reward is equally essential.By helping their children develop and stick to a routine and stay organized, parents can facilitate their online learning and academic progress.
Focus on Adequate Rest and Physical Activities
The transition from elementary to middle school could be jarring for students as their coursework becomes more challenging and they are expected to master new concepts to meet new academic expectations. Students enrolled in online middle schools could feel it too much to handle and tend to stay seated in front of the screens for long hours to focus all their attention on academics.
Parents need to help children at this phase by letting them understand they will learn and retain better with adequate rest and physical activities. Be it regular breaks included in the study routine or time kept aside for play sessions with friends, a balance needs to exist between studies, rest, and physical activities. Exercising, playing with a pet, or enjoying a hobby (that involves movements like dancing, roller skating, etc.) should be encouraged to ensure online middle schoolers don’t get used to a sedentary lifestyle.
Encourage Socialization and Extracurricular Activities
Parents can get their kids enrolled in hobby clubs, events, or organizations that align with their interests and foster in them a sense of community. Meeting new people closer to their age, making friends, and enjoying socialization and extracurricular activities are vital for critical thinking, cognitive development, and enhancing learning experiences.
By incorporating socialization and extracurricular activities in their kids’ daily routine of online learning, parents can help break the monotony and encourage students to connect with others, share experiences, collaborate in group activities, and have fun. This will provide the kids with a well-rounded education.
Final Words
Parents play a vital role in their kids’ transition from elementary to online middle school by acting as a coaches, motivators, and partners in their education.
From getting them ready for this new phase of life with emotional support to encouraging the adoption of successful habits and fostering various learning activities and life skills, parents can ensure the unique learning strengths, needs, and interests of their children are met. This way, they can help their kids embrace the rewarding experience offered by online middle schools with confidence.
