As your child enters the middle school years, roughly from ages 11 - 14, they will likely encounter some turbulence. Identity building makes up much of this critical developmental phase, as students actively explore who they are, what they like, and where they fit in by testing new behaviors, appearances, and social groups. Driven by intense physical and emotional changes, they teeter between accepting adult definitions and constructing their own self-concept through experimentation, peer influence, and growing autonomy. 

Adding to this heady mix, academic expectations typically rise in middle school. Many students struggle with organization, planning, and problem solving, as they try to balance the increasing demands of school with their rapidly changing sense of self.  The gap between growing responsibilities, shifting social priorities, and their ability to keep it all straight — including managing their time well, organizing their homework obligations, keeping up with accelerated subject matter, and finding balance between their social and academic lives — can be daunting. It’s a lot! 

One way parents can support their middle schoolers is by helping them build stronger executive function skills, which will aid them in learning to prioritize and organize their growing list of obligations with greater independence and less stress. Developing strong executive function skills can significantly mitigate some of the ups and downs of this tumultuous developmental period.

• Help your child establish healthy routines for out-of-school time so they can find balance between their academic responsibilities, their hobbies and activities, and their social adventures. 
• Set up dedicated study spaces and establish minimum (and maybe maximum, depending on the nature of your child) blocks of time  to allocate for school work. 
• Encourage your learners to create visual aids like checklists and color-coded binders to organize the flow of their work. 
• Because kids of this age group sometimes need help seeing the trees through the forest, teach them how to break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable steps.  

Perhaps most important is your loving support in validating your child’s emotions and helping them work through their challenges. In doing so, you are providing a secure base for their exploration through this complex time of life. And if you need support — whether it’s to help your child learn to prioritize, plan and organize work flow, adhere to healthy work habits, or better understand any of their academic subjects — please keep in mind that we have an exceptional group of experienced  tutors, warm and personable, well versed in the art of teaching, and masters of subject content across the board for learners of all ages.

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