5 Important Skills Middle Schoolers Should Develop Before High School

As students enter the middle school years, there is an increased emphasis on students' academic performance - how they do now will pave the way for their high school years. It is important that they need to begin cultivating habits and skills to engage with their academics effectively.  Hence, it is paramount that they lay a strong foundation on which to build their academic careers. Middle schoolers should make school a priority and build good academic skills and healthy work habits. Below, we have curated some of the essential skills that are helpful for middle schoolers to cultivate.  

 

1. Create a healthy study environment 

First, it is essential to create an environment that allows middle schoolers to study effectively. When they sit down to study, the atmosphere around the student can significantly influence how they engage with their work. 

• Create a routine: Students should pick a regular time to sit down and do their school work. They should over time determine how much time they need to get the school work done and plan a study block, factoring in adding breaks to their study routine. Parents should monitor this time in the beginning to make sure that they are spending appropriate amounts of time - too much or too little can both be problematic.
• Create a dedicated workspace: students should find a spot to sit and work without any major distractions. It is helpful to have a dedicated workspace with all their needed stationery, books, and other requirements handy. Some other things to consider are whether there is sufficient light for them to study. Are the noise levels manageable? 
• Eradicate distractions: try to steer clear of anything/ anyone that may interfere or come in the way of your studying. A major distraction for most children is gadgets. Students should put away any devices they do not need for their studies. Even on devices they use for their academics, students should disable unnecessary apps or tabs while working and turn off notifications for social media. Additionally, students often believe that turning on some music helps them study. This is not the case - most music distracts from studies.

 

2. Stay organized and fight procrastination

While studying, it is easy for everyone to give in to procrastination and fall behind on their work. From a young age, students should learn to develop organizational skills that help with time management and staying on top of all academic work. This also reduces stress and allows students to engage with their material in a more constructive manner. Some tricks that help includes:

• Have a weekly/monthly planner with every hour accounted for with activities, homework, and study time, as well as downtime scheduled in. Students can even print and put this up in their rooms or somewhere easily visible. 
• Create a prioritized To-Do List. Students can use either paper and notepads or even electronic versions to make a list of the work they have. Usually, it helps to create a list with the biggest and most challenging tasks coming first followed by tasks the student might find easier. Another way of prioritizing, of course, is by deadline. 
• Commit to doing one task at a time in small increments to stay focused and avoid distractions. Students should tackle one thing on their list at a time. Once they have ticked off a task from their list, they can move on to the next. 
• Read How to Help Your Teens Manage Their Time for additional tips and tools.

 

3. Develop a strong study habit

Many students do not have any plans for studying and start by just reading textbooks or notes and sometimes attempting to memorize these contents directly for their exams. And in class, they often have the habit of simply copying down notes word for word based on what the teacher is saying. Passive studying will not help students learn or retain the information well, and active learning is critical. Here are some ways to implement this:

• Pay attention during class. Instead of merely copying down notes, students should listen to what is being taught and discussed actively. They should also make attempts to participate and speak up in class discussions. 
• Take class notes. Along with participating in class, students should take down some notes. However, they should make sure not to copy down what the teacher is saying monotonously and instead take notes in their own words.
• Study efficiently at home. Effective ways of studying at home involve not merely reading the textbook. Students should gather all their materials - class handouts, notes, homework assignments, previous quizzes and tests, and books. Identify what is most important and create a study guide that includes important topics, terms, and concepts. Turn this list into a set of questions that will force them to remember each item. Read more about study strategies at 6 Steps to Better Grades. 

 

4. Communication and Self advocacy

As middle schoolers enter this stage of their education, they must learn to establish self-advocacy, become more independent with their academic work and interactions, and learn to communicate this new independence. This sets the stage for their interpersonal skills and confidence in the long run. So what can they do? 

• Make decisions on their own. At this stage, students need to start making their own decisions. While still essential for them to communicate and discuss this with the adults around them, they should begin having a say in the type of classes, activities, or clubs they would like to be involved in. 
• Communication. Children need to begin approaching teachers, counselors, and other school staff members on their own. For example, if they have difficulties in a particular subject, they should learn to approach and communicate this with a teacher. Even if they do not have problems in class, it is good to communicate and form a relationship with a teacher on their own. The same goes for other school staff, such as coaches, administrators, or counselors. Students should extend this independence in communication with friends outside of the school setting as well. For example, they should start making plans with friends on their own (of course checking with you to make sure that it is OK).  
• Resolve conflict independently. Allow children to solve conflicts on their own and without intervention as much as possible. For instance, if they have a rift with a peer, allow them to talk to the peer on their own or discuss the issue with teachers or relevant adults before jumping in to help them out. They might be able to find a solution on their own. You can always troubleshoot the problems at home with your child and discuss ways to overcome the conflict at hand, and then allow them to tackle the issue independently. 

 

5. Learn to take risks 

As middle schoolers, children should learn to take risks and explore new possibilities. They need to know how to speak up, combat their fears, and understand that it is OK to encounter failures as well. What are some things they should do? 

• Take classes they may not be good at. This is an opportunity for students to try a subject they may have previously performed poorly on. This will allow them to tackle challenges, accept failure if they encounter it, and build resilience in approaching a subject. 
• Join new clubs. Along with taking up different classes, students should get involved in new activities - school clubs, volunteer work, community sports, etc. If they dislike the activity, they can always quit later. However, this is the time to try out new ventures - there is little consequence at the middle school stage for trying out things the student may develop a distaste for or end up not pursuing. 
• Speak up. Students should learn to participate and ask questions during class—remember, no question is a dumb question, so there is no need to be embarrassed! To help them combat shyness, students can even take up public speaking and join debate clubs. These clubs will help make children speak up with a sense of confidence, clarity, and poise. 
• Make new connections. Taking these risks to do things out of their comfort zone also provides students an opportunity to connect with peers and meet new people. Once again, without letting inhibition take over, students should make the best of their new connections and expand their network, building on the interpersonal skills previously mentioned in the blog. 

For additional insights on middle school years, read:

 

7 Things Every Middle School Parents Should Know

What You Need to know About Academic Tracking in Middle School

Summer 2021 for Academically Motivated Middle Schoolers

Guide to Gifted and Talented Programs and Are They Worth It?

 

Subscribe to our Newsletter 

Receive inside track information on college admissions process, high school and middle school planning, general pre-college guidance, and be the first to know about our events and announcements.