Here is a hard truth. The jump from elementary school to middle school is the first big step towards higher levels of learning. Many students find their first jump in learning difficulty to be quite hard. The homework and exams might have felt really easy in elementary school but middle school feels like a completely different ballpark.
However, there are many ways that students can overcome this and start to get into the groove. Once they’ve figured out a few fun ways to keep their learning up to speed, they’ll start to notice how easy it is to excel in middle school as well!
Here are 5 tips on how to easily excel in middle school.
1. Ask Questions Regularly
Usually, the teacher will ask the class if there are any questions after she/he has explained the subject. This is also usually met by silence. In fact, many students might have had a question but was too shy or afraid to ask, because they thought it might’ve been dumb.
That is far from the truth! In fact, it’s highly likely there are many other students that are just as confused as others might be but everyone is just too afraid to ask. They’re waiting for someone to get the ball rolling.
Encourage your child the next time they have a question, not to hesitate to raise their hand and ask. This would clear up a lot of misunderstanding not just for themselves, but for their friends as well. Asking questions will help to get far in learning the syllabus. It also helps your teacher understand what students don’t know, and helps them teach the class better. It’s a win-win-win situation for everyone!
2. Peer Reviewing and Having a Study Group
One of the most fun ways to learn something is by learning something together. Instead of sitting alone and trying to figure it out, students could get together with a friend or two to work together. By having study sessions, students can improve on each other’s strengths while fixing each other’s weaknesses.
A study group is one of the surefire ways of excelling in middle school. When kids are studying with their trusted buddies, they all will joke and make the syllabus much more fun and easier to understand – as long as there isn’t too much goofing off!
Related: What Skills Should Students Know Going into Grade 6?
3. Take The Syllabus Outside of the Classroom
Learning shouldn’t just be limited to inside the classroom. In fact, a student’s mind is like a sponge and they should be trying to absorb as much knowledge as possible. This doesn’t mean hitting the books 24/7 however, there are many different ways of learning.
For example, the student might not enjoy mathematics in school as much, and they don’t like to do the homework. In fact, they would prefer to spend your time playing video games and trying to farm for that legendary gear.
However, do you realize that by playing that game, the child is unintentionally doing mathematics? Calculating loot, keeping track of the gold in their inventory, counting the experience needed to level up. It’s all maths.
Instead of learning it through books, you might find that learning maths through video games suits your student more, and it could actually make the subject they dislike into their favourite subject to learn about!
There are many opportunities for students to learn your syllabus in everyday life, without needing to hit the books constantly. They just need to make that connection in their head, and understand that they can learn a topic in more than one way.
Related: How to Learn Mathematics Outside of the Classroom
4. Research Online
Now with the recent pandemic, many student’s classes are done online. This might actually be great for their learning. Sure, they might not be able to meet friends outside, but aside from having study groups online like previously mentioned, they can also do some in-depth research of their own. Google and YouTube could be their best friends in learning new information every day.
With the gift of technology and global knowledge at their fingertips, it’s a great tool for students to learn so much at the touch of a button.
5. Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help
Sometimes there comes a point where there’s a concept your child may not be able to grasp. By recognizing this struggle early on, you can help provide them the support they need to be able to reach their full potential.
Finding a tutor that can act as a mentor and guide your child through the curriculum is sometimes the best option. Tutors can determine your child’s strengths and weaknesses and make sure they have the support they need on a regular basis. Sometimes the one-on-one support is what makes all the difference.
If your child is struggling to excel in Middle School and you’re not sure what the next step should be – contact School is Easy Tutoring for a free consultation!
