Contact PACER | Donate | Search

Navigation Menu

• Home
• How PACER Helps
• About PACER
  • PACER Facts
  • History
  • Leadership
  • Press Room
• Programs & Resources
  • Programs
  • Publications
  • Translated Materials
  • Web Sites
  • Newsletters
  • Workshops
  • Upcoming Webinars
  • Archived Webinars
  • Public Policy
• News
• Events
  • PACER's Annual Benefit
  • Creative Kids Greeting Cards
  • Mann Foundation Symposium
  • PACER Rocks For Kids Event
  • Run, Walk, Roll Against Bullying
  • Unity Day
    Oct. 12th
  • Unity Dance Day
    Oct. 26th
• Get Involved
  • Become a Volunteer
  • Make a Donation
  • Corporate Sponsors

• Building Self-Esteem Contributes to Your Child's Security
• Career search: start charting a path for youth now
• Parenting By Example And Intent
• Parents can assist with homework at all stages
• Parents Can Ease Child's Fear of Move to Middle School
• Resolve school differences with effective communication skills
• "Ten Aspects of Good Parenting"

Home / Programs & Resources / Parent to Parent Support Project / Articles / Parent’s Can Ease Child’s Fear of Move to Middle School Parenting By Example And Intent

Parent to Parent Support Project

Parent’s Can Ease Child’s Fear of Move to Middle School

PACESETTER, Fall 2008

The transition from elementary school to middle school can pose new challenges for teens and added concerns for youth with disabilities. Studies also show that students who drop out of school often struggle making the shift from elementary to middle school or middle school to high school. A parent’s support and involvement at this pivotal time, however, can pave the way to a successful school life and help a student maintain a positive view of school.

Following are the typical challenges of moving on to middle school and how parents can help students prepare for them.

New building and new staff

Preparation in the following ways can help your child’s adjustment to an unfamiliar setting and new teachers.

• Request an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting just prior to the start of school. Parents can request that all of their child’s regular education teachers be invited to the meeting. They can also write a short introduction to their child and leave a copy with each teacher. The introduction should briefly describe when their child was diagnosed, what the child’s needs are, and growth in development from year to year. Parents can also give a brief overview of their child’s strengths and needs to the teachers at the meeting. Children may also come to the meeting so they can talk about what works best for them in school. “Not all kids will do that,” says Jody Manning, PACER advocate. “If they can’t come, bring a recent photo of your child.”
• Request a copy of your child’s schedule. An unknown schedule can be a source of anxiety for students, Manning says. Parents can lessen that anxiety by taking their child to school and finding the classrooms on the schedule.
• Mail the introduction to teachers who weren’t able to attend the IEP meeting. Parents should also provide phone and/or e-mail contacts so teachers can contact them. Two to three weeks after school begins, parents may want to e-mail teachers asking them if they have any concerns about their child or the IEP.

New and larger group of peers

Oftentimes, students in middle school are moving to a building that incorporates students from other elementary schools, which means more new faces. To help children meet more students their age, parents can enroll them in summer opportunities such as community education classes, citywide sports teams, or summer camps. Adaptive recreation assistance that supports inclusion in activities may also be offered in a community.

More than one teacher a day

Greater organizational skills are required when students have multiple teachers and classrooms. Parents can support their child in these ways:

• provide organizational tools, such as a three-ring binder with pockets for storage.
• Keep an eye on their organizational needs for the first few weeks. If a student is having great difficulty, request an IEP meeting to discuss this new need and some possible accommodations. For example, parents can request an extra set of textbooks at home, assistance with a locker, or having a cubby in classrooms where students can leave supplies.
• Help the student develop a checklist that he or she can review each morning to make sure needed materials are ready.

Teens likely want more privacy and independence

At the middle school age, parents are challenged by finding a balance between encouraging independence and providing and enforcing guidelines that teenagers still need.
“Parents should set fair and consistent rules with boundaries,” Manning says. “The boundaries help children learn that responsibility comes with new independence.”
Other ways to strike the right balance in the relationship with young teens include the following:

• Be involved in their education at school. Parents can do this by volunteering, joining school committees, building relationships with teachers, visiting the school, and attending parent-teacher conferences. One mother graded school spelling sheets at home. “She felt like part of the school community, and her children had pride in her,” Manning says. Research shows that when parents are involved in their child’s education, children earn higher grades in school and have better behavior.
• Keep the lines of communication open. Talk every day about what happens at school; ask often if there are messages from school. If teens bring concerns home from school, listen and offer help to improve the situation. “If a teen brings bad news home, they’ve probably already been disciplined,” Manning says. “They would benefit from a discussion about possible solutions. At the middle school age, it’s time to step into a solution mode.”
• Review the IEP and school records each year.
• Get to know other parents and form support groups to work on problems and issues of mutual interest.