High school is often a whole new world compared to the structure and safety of middle school. Preparing your middle school student early can help them be successful once they begin life as a high school student. Here are some ways you can prepare your middle school student for what lies ahead, and help them to continue being academically successful as they continue their education.

Promote Independent Learning

Making learning fun and showing your pre-teen how empowering it is to learn new things will help them foster a lifelong love of learning. When they see the value in it, they will begin to find topics to learn on their own and discover their interests and aspirations. The key is to use practical lessons as to why certain subjects, such as math, science, and writing, are important.

Since high school is less structured in what you have to study and provides options for learning new and exciting topics, those students who love learning will thrive as they seek knowledge on their own. Most children will resist when they feel like they are being forced to learn, but if they see it as an opportunity to learn, it will change their perspective.

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Create Good Study Habits

There are numerous studies showing the correlation between good study habits and academic achievements. Helping your child to create good study habits early on sets them up for future success in school. Knowing how to study, and being able to do it independently, will help them maintain good grades throughout high school.

Some good study tips include:

• Pick a specific study time
• Avoid distractions
• Create a pleasant study space
• Involve accountability partners

Encourage Positive Relationships

Teaching young teens self-confidence and good communication skills can help them build positive relationships with peers and teachers. Encourage your child to seek out relationships that build them up and have a positive influence on them, as well as how to be a positive influence on others.

Encourage them to talk to you about relationships they are struggling with. Sometimes teens can get overly critical and self-conscious and need to boost of encouragement to pursue a new friendship.

Explore Interests

Help your teen or pre-teen to explore their interests. Give them opportunities to try new hobbies and experiences and see what they enjoy. Being confident in their interests will help them as they transition into high school and are faced with more choices and areas to study.

It will also help them seek out and bond with peers who have similar interests in the same sports, classes, and leisure activities. If your teen is able to pursue topics they are interested in, they will be much more receptive to learning, and school will be a more positive experience for them.

Involve Them In Decisions

High schoolers have more choices in classes, extracurriculars, areas of study, and free time activities. This can be a big shift from middle school, where most of your child’s study time is dictated for them. If you begin to offer your middle school student small choices early on, you can prepare them for the bigger decisions to come.

Teach Self-Care

Along with high school comes a new set of social and emotional challenges that teens will have to learn to navigate. Teach your middle school student the importance of self-care, so they can carry those habits with them into high school. 

What is self-care? Self-care involves protecting your mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Learning to manage stress, sort priorities, take breaks, and think positively are all aspects of self-care, which becomes more important in high school.

Some ways to teach middle school students self-care include:

• Teaching time management skills to avoid overextending
• Prioritizing mental health and valuing taking breaks
• Practicing positive affirmations and building self-confidence
• Encourage open communication when they are stressed

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St. Cecelia Interparochial Catholic School

The staff at St. Cecelia Interparochial Catholic School wants your child to get the most out of their middle school experience. We believe in preparing well-rounded kids by expanding their horizons, and that includes preparing them for high school.

St. Cecelia, located in Clearwater, Florida, is a nationally recognized two-time Blue Ribbon School. Our students range from preschool-age to middle school students. To learn more about enrollment, please visit our website or contact us online.