Operation Organization

Help Your Preteen Make the Middle School Transition

By Kelly Burgess

When my kids went from fifth grade to sixth grade, it was a shocking transition. Virtually overnight, we went from a very communicative home/school connection, where parents volunteered frequently in the classroom, to only hearing from the school at report card time. There were no more class parties, no more casual conversations with the teacher as we helped with various crafts or activities and no more notes in the "Friday folder" letting us know what they had done that week.

For my daughter, it was no problem. She sailed through middle school just as she had done through elementary school. Two years later, my son fell apart. His grades dropped, and he seemed to be forever bringing home slips saying he hadn't done his homework even though I knew darn well that he had.

Finally, I called and set up an appointment with the teacher. What I discovered was not that the work had suddenly become too challenging but that there was a much higher expectation of responsibility on him, and it was overwhelming. In other words, he was just disorganized.

Carol Utay, executive director of Total Learning Centers in Wexford, Pa., says that sixth grade is a difficult transition for many children.

"Most schools try very hard to make kids independent before they reach middle school, but some still can't handle the increased responsibility right away," she says. "Part of the issue is that they go from having maybe two teachers to having five or more. It may seem like a given that they should know that certain books and materials need to go with them to certain classes, but some kids still aren't capable of dividing everything up and getting it to the right classes."

Utay, who gives seminars on organization and study skills at her local school district, has found that about 30 percent of students going into middle school are perfectly well prepared for the increased responsibilities while 30 percent need some support. The final 30 percent need significant support. Because most teachers are busy with 30 kids each in eight or nine class periods a day, parents can't expect too much of that support to come from teachers.

When Susie Glennan's daughter, Jaime, started sixth grade she was coming from a homeschooling environment, so the transition was doubly difficult. "After meeting with the teacher and principal, it quickly became clear that the teacher had all she could do to keep up with 30 kids and keep them from being unruly," Glennan says. "I also realized fairly quickly that it was an organizational issue and not an issue of her abilities."

Ultimately, Glennan, the founder of the Busy Woman's Daily Planner

Want to see more?

• Middle School Blues: Helping Your Preteen Face the Challenges of Junior High
• The Junior High Years: Getting – and Staying – Involved at Your Child's School
• Homework Help: A Parental Refresher Course
• Talk about it!