So I have a 6th grader ( 1st year in middle school) the first few weeks have been rough. His organizational skills are not so great and keeping up with assignments is a lot of work for the both of us. So I did some research and I hope this helps someone out there
1. Attend Back-to-School Night and Parent-Teacher Conferences
Kids do better in school when parents are involved in their academic lives
2. Visit the School and Its Website
Knowing the physical layout of the school building and grounds can help you connect with your child when you talk about the school day.
3. Support Homework Expectations
Homework reinforces and extends classroom learning and helps kids practice important study skills.
4. Send Your Child to School Ready to Learn
A nutritious breakfast fuels up kids and gets them ready for the day.Kids also need the right amount of sleep to be alert and ready to learn all day. Most school-age kids need 10 to 12 hours of sleep a night.
5. Teach Organizational Skills
When kids are organized, they can stay focused instead of spending time hunting things down and getting sidetracked.
6. Teach Study Skills
Studying for a test can be scary for young kids, and many educators assume parents will help their kids during the grade-school years. Introducing your child to study skills now will pay off with good learning habits throughout life.
7. Know the Disciplinary Policies
Schools usually cite their disciplinary policies (sometimes called the student code of conduct) in student handbooks.
8. Get Involved
It's a great way for parents to show they're interested in their kids' education.
9. Take Attendance Seriously
Unless they are sick send them to school and on time.Otherwise, it's important that kids arrive at school on time every day, because having to catch up with class work and homework can be stressful and interfere with learning.
10. Make Time to Talk About School
Make time to talk with your child every day, so he or she knows that what goes on at school is important to you. When kids know parents are interested in their academic lives, they'll take school seriously as well.