Making 7th Grade Successful
One of the things that we always hear from parents at the beginning of 7th Grade is “Wow, 7th grade is so much harder than 6th grade was!” We have found that not only are the students shocked by the course work and level of responsibility of 7th grade, but so are their parents.
Don’t stress out just yet. You are not alone. This year you are part of our team. This team includes all of us (academic teachers), Mrs. Steele (guidance counselor) as well as you and your family. We all want to see your child succeed. Together, we can make 7th grade your child’s best year.
As a parent one of the most important things you can do this year is stay involved. Although your child might be fighting for more and more independence, their education should not be part of the struggle. This does not mean that you need to sit by their side and do their homework with them. Staying involved can simply be that you check your child’s Agenda every night. This is a vital organizational tool that we teach each student to use. All assignments are written down in the Agenda for every subject. Your child’s agenda should never be blank. Your role at home should be to expect to see the Agenda filled out each night. A missing or a blank Agenda should not be acceptable. This simple tool of expecting assignments to be written down holds your child responsible for his or her work.
Another important step in having success in 7th grade is completing homework. Your child will probably have an hour to an hour and a half of homework each night. This may include math problems, reading or writing assignments from English and Social Studies, or a variety of work from other subjects. Setting up a homework routine can be very helpful. Set aside a specific time and place for homework to be completed. Set a timer for how long you and your child expect the assignment to take. Insist that your child work diligently for the allotted time. Once the timer goes off, if the work is completed take a 5-minute break and start another assignment. If the assignment is not finished in the allotted time, check to see if your child does not understand something or take a quick break and start the timer again. At the end of “Homework” time check over your child’s assignments and have your child place them in their homework folder. We cannot stress the importance of homework enough. Accumulating zeros on homework assignments is a sure way for your child to fail.
The last tip for success in 7th grade is learning how to study. For many of our students this may be the first year when they actually have to study for tests. The material in 7th grade is more complicated, faster paced and given to your child by seven or eight different teachers. This can be very overwhelming. Teaching your child how to study will be very helpful. Most tests and quizzes are announced days in advance, so all students have plenty of time to prepare. When you see a test announced in your child’s Agenda, encourage them to start reviewing the information for 15 minutes each night. These small reviews are much more beneficial than cramming the night before.
Everyone on this
7th grade team wants to see your child succeed. We hope that with
your consistent support at home and our guidance in school, success will be
bountiful this year. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact
us at school, 881-0470
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