Middle school is the pause between elementary school and high school. Children learn at different rates –not just homeschoolers, ALL kids! The pause, middle school, gives slow or reluctant learners time to catch up before high school. At the same time, it gives quick and academically capable children a chance to continue learning at their level. Do you find yourself becoming stressed out over middle school? Read my article, Taming Middle School Anxiety. It's sure to help you and your student calm any anxiety this stage of life brings.
The first purpose of middle school is to give students in need some remedial help. Students below grade level in math can spend time focusing on math. They can use the time to reach grade level. The good news about middle school is that it’s impossible for you to be behind. If your child is below grade level, then the purpose of middle school is to help them achieve grade level. You haven’t done anything wrong and your child is exactly where they should be.I have helped thousands of parents successfully homeschool high school, from middle school through high school graduation! Here's the 12 keys you need to succeed! Register now! The 12 Keys to High School Success Webinar
The first purpose of middle school for parents is to spend time learning how to homeschool high school. This is your job. Home education is your chosen vocation. You need to include continuing education in order to avoid a crash and burn during the high school years. Learn what you need to know so you do not panic. You have to invest.
You’re not only investing in college for your child, you’re investing in yourself and your homeschool. Take classes about homeschooling high school and go on a business trip for homeschool parents; that is, attend a homeschool convention. Take parent education training classes online, read books about high school, and buy books about college admission and scholarships. This will all help you afford college and help your child go on to life beyond homeschool -college and career.
Middle school is the best time to learn about homeschooling high school. Identify your fears and educate yourself. If you’re petrified of teaching algebra, you can educate yourself on algebra and the different curriculum available.
Learn more about high school while your child is in middle school. This is training time for you, not the final exam. This is your opportunity to get better at homeschooling.
Your job as the parent is not to panic. Fear of high school is usually what causes parents to quit homeschooling. Don't let fear rule your life. Become more educated so you can make informed decisions about your child’s future, instead of fear-based decisions. Knowledge is power. Knowing more about middle school and high school will remove the fear so you can make an educated decision. Learn more to help you become more confident over time.
The second purpose for homeschool parents is to practice your record keeping skills. Begin to learn all about record keeping before your children are in high school. Keep great records and move forward with confidence. This is an opportunity for you to learn without any possibility of failure.
Practice keeping records as if your child was in high school. Begin working on a transcript and write course descriptions. Learn what type of attendance records homeschoolers must keep in your state. This will prevent panic when you face high school. For more information on record keeping, you might want to check out my book, Setting the Records Straight. It describes how to keep records and create transcripts and course descriptions.
Your most important purpose during middle school is to enjoy learning with your children. Enjoy this time with them while they’re young. These are the last few years they will value your opinion and won’t insist on having their own. Value this time; learn to love and cherish it.
Your role as parent is to work yourself out of a job within the next six years. Train your children to become young adults who can live independently. It is a six-year process; you won’t create an independent young adult instantaneously. From the time they’re 12 until they’re 18, it’s going to take a lot of effort on your part.
This article is the first chapter of my Coffee Break Book, Homeschooling Middle School with Powerful Purpose: How to Successfully Navigate 6th through 8th Grade. Regular price is only $4.49 for Kindle, and $7.95 for paperback. Grab your copy here today!
Once you’ve read it, I would be so grateful if you left a quick review to let me know what you think. Thanks so much!
Hallo Lee, I've come to this via a UK Facebook group for home educating families considering going the SAT route rather than our focus-on-exams-from-13-18 system, which is pretty stifling . As you may imagine, never having encountered transcripts and SAT before, it's a bit daunting, so I'm so grateful for your practical help and encouragement. I'm directing my friends to your site - thank you for your great resources!
Ginny (Oxfordshire, UK)
Hello Lee!
Thanks for writing such a helpful post! You did a wonderful job showing us why we should focus on our job of continuing our own education. Not only will that keep us from panicking [never a good idea! ], but we'll be demonstrating for our kids what lifelong learners look like.
Another added benefit of planning ahead for high-school needs is the fact that we'll be comfortable and confident about what we've decided our children need to cover. When we have that firmly in mind, we'll have the brain space to plan for including our kids' interests and passions in our homeschool plans. That's such a powerful motivator for our children -- feeling like partners in their educational planning!
I loved what you said, "Your job as the parent is not to panic." If we keep panic at bay we can accomplish amazing things! I'm going to share that quote on Instagram for sure.
Thanks again for the lovely article!
Leah
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