How Can I Help My Son Get Better Grades in Middle School?

Middle school students still need parental guidance.

Parents often think their children should take full responsibility for homework once they enter middle school, but the transition from pleasing a single teacher to pleasing six or seven different teachers each day can be difficult. By showing your son how to stay organized, providing a suitable homework area and maintaining an active relationship with his school, you can give him the foundation he needs to develop independence and maintain good grades.

Things You'll Need

• Assignment notebook
• Notebooks and folders in various colors
• Study area supplies

Instructions

Teach Organizational Skills

1. Purchase an assignment notebook, and teach your son how to fill it out. Check it nightly at first to be sure he's remembering to write all his assignments down. Once he forms the habit, reduce your checks to once or twice a week.

2. Teach your son to estimate how much time an assignment will take. Students often underestimate the time needed to complete their work, which can mean a rush to finish and sloppy, inaccurate results.

3. Color code notebooks and folders for each class. For example, the green notebook and folder are for science, and the blue ones are for math. This will help your son bring the correct materials to each class and put the right ones in his backpack at the end of the day.

4. Designate one folder for notices sent home by the school or sheets that need to be signed and returned, such as field trip permission slips. Red works well as an easily visible color.

5. Train your son to get his backpack ready for the next day before he goes to bed each night. He should see that his assignments are in the correct folders and that all the textbooks he brought home are accounted for.

Provide Support at Home

1. Provide a well-lit, quiet study area. If your budget allows, stock it with all the basics: extra loose-leaf paper, pens, stapler, paper clips, correction fluid, note cards and any other items he might need.

2. Develop a homework schedule. Let your son unwind when he gets home, but set times for beginning homework and for completing it each night.

3. Limit computer and cell phone use during the week. Many parents find it's best to keep the computer in an open family area. If the computer is in your son's bedroom, he might be spending more time on social network sites than on his studies.

4. Help your son when he needs it, but avoid the temptation to do the work for him.

5. Set high standards for your son's homework. Middle school students often finish an assignment just to get it over with. Let him know you expect his full effort.

Maintain the Parent-School Connection

1. Get to know all your son's teachers at the beginning of the school year, and attend all conferences. Ask for suggestions on helping him at home.

2. Monitor your son's progress through the school's academic website. You can see immediately if grades start to slip in a particular class, and it's a handy backup for the assignment notebook.

3. Attend your son's academic and extracurricular school events. Seeing his school life is important to you can help keep him motivated.

4. Volunteer. Schools always need the help, and it's an excellent way to get to know your son's teachers.

References

• Scholastic: Success Tips From a Middle School Principal
• SchoolFamily: Better Grades - You Can Help!
• University of Florida Extension: Communicating With Your Child's Teacher
• Michigan Department of Education: What Research Shows About Parent Involvement in Children's Education