Help Your Middle School Student Across the Finish Line
(from SOS4Students Director Beth Samuelson)
Phew, we are almost at the finish line for this school year! This has not been an easy year for any students. Middle schoolers have been especially challenged.
Right now, I’m thinking of three major projects that my 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students had this semester—in the last three weeks, no less! Are you sitting down?
- For history class, a 6th grader was asked to create a model city using what she had learned about government (online) with laws, rules, a goal, public art, a monument, and some 40 slides of directions and activities.
- A 7th grader was required to turn in a poetry book with at least four, hand-drawn illustrations, 10 poems, a works cited page for any images found online, a table of contents, and a personal reflection.
- An 8th grader was just finishing a three-month investigative research project incorporating interviews and historical research, note taking, an outline, and several drafts.
What I’m finding is that teachers assigned far more multi-step projects this past year than they did tests for middle schoolers. It seems demands on this age group are steadily increasing with many middle schoolers expected to do more complex work independently.
One way you can help your 6th, 7th, or 8th grader prepare for the school year ahead is by having them attend one of our essential summer workshops for middle schoolers. Check out our signature Middle School Blitz (for rising 7th and 8th graders) and Mastering Middle School (for those just starting middle school).
See all of our student workshops. We hope to see your student at one (or more!) of them.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to us at (510) 531-4767 or by email at .