Davalynn Spencer
writing about your kids
writing about your kids
What Parents Should Know
Getting Ready for School
As economic purse strings tighten around the public schools this year, ensure that your child has the tools she will need by stocking up on pencils, pens and lined binder paper.A binder with tabbed dividers for different subjects will help keep her organized, and a planner will help her keep track of homework assignments.
Remember: organization is a giant step toward success in school.
Make your child's mobility easier by getting her a backback with sturdy straps, or one that rolls on wheels. Backpacks take a beating at school, so buy a good one, or be prepared to replace it every couple of months.
A Good Day
Some kids can't wait to go to school. Others can't believe they have to! Help your kids with the following:
- Lay out school clothes the night before to avoid uneccesary rush the next morning.
- Get a good night's sleep on school nights.
- Eat a healthy breakfast before leaving for school.
- If you ride the bus, give yourself plenty of time to get to the bus stop.
- Put on a smile. Teachers will notice it and give you one in return!
Your sixth-grader
For many students, sixth grade is the portal from childhood to adulthood. It's not an immediate transition, but rather the threshold of a whole new way of seeing, feeling, and reacting.
Biological alarms start going off in 11- and 12-year-olds that can send parents into a panic if they don't know what to expect. Here are a few changes that your child may experience, based upon his or her own physiological clock. When you know what's coming, it's a little easier to prepare. For an encouraging word, see the resources listed at the bottom of this page.
Hormones
For many students, sixth grade is the portal from childhood to adulthood. It's not an immediate transition, but rather the threshold of a whole new way of seeing, feeling, and reacting.
Biological alarms start going off in 11- and 12-year-olds that can send parents into a panic if they don't know what to expect. Here are a few changes that your child may experience, based upon his or her own physiological clock. When you know what's coming, it's a little easier to prepare. For an encouraging word, see the resources listed at the bottom of this page.
Hormones
- Your daughter may begin her menstrual cycle this year. Make sure she knows what to expect, and what to do in case this happens at school.
- Your son's voice may start to change, so don't laugh when it "cracks" while he's talking and it suddenly drops an octave.
- Boys and girls may begin growing hair under their arms and in more private places.
- Deodorant will be a must, if it isn't already.
- Children start noticing the opposite sex as more than just "friends."
- Your child's sweet attitude may suddenly sour as he or she challenges your authority.
School
Teachers require more of sixth-grade students since this is the transition year between elementary and middle school. Your child may have to rotate between teachers for different classes rather than staying in one classroom with one teacher for all subjects.
The amount of homework also increases. Help your student by making sure he has a quiet place to do homework, away from television and younger siblings, if possible.
Reading plays a more important role in your child's school work. History and Science classes are text-heavy, and require much more reading than in the lower grades. Note: if a student reads two or more years below the current grade level, that student will struggle in school. Encourage your child to read at every opportunity, and if he has unusual difficulty, seek out a specialist at school.
