Research Shows Grades Can Drop When Kids Start Middle School, but Parental Involvement Can Make the Difference

eSCORE.com Education Specialists Offer Strategies for Parents to Navigate Middle School's Academic, Emotional, and Social Challenges

Alameda, CA (August 21, 2000) – Remember middle school? You felt a little awkward and self-conscious, coping with all kinds of changes including a new school, multiple classrooms and teachers instead of just one, a different social order, and a body in the throes of puberty. Small wonder that children's grades can drop during the first year of middle school compared to their grades in elementary school. According to education specialists from eSCORE.com, which helps parents pinpoint and act on their child's particular learning strengths and needs, parental involvement during middle school is critical, preventing kids from losing academic motivation and helping them to build self-esteem and belief in their own abilities.

"Middle school students are going through tremendous upheaval in how they see themselves and the world, at the same time that the nature of their educational environment is changing," said Yu Linda Song, a former teacher and eSCORE.com education specialist. "The effects, such as low self-esteem, waning interest in school, or a conclusion about how 'smart' they are, can have a significant impact on academic performance and motivation at a time when kids are laying an important foundation for the higher order tasks which lie ahead in high school and college."

"Many parents become less involved in education during the middle school years, reacting to their new adolescent's need for greater independence," continued Song. "But their involvement is more important than ever, and there are ways that parents can be supportive and active without stifling a child's normal push for autonomy."

In partnership with researchers at Harvard Project Zero, a leading child development research organization, eSCORE.com's education specialists have formulated strategies for parents to help their children cope with the unique challenges of the middle school years, including:
-Praise your child's effort as well as achievement. Research shows that children who attribute success and failure to effort rather than innate ability are less likely to get discouraged when faced with a challenge, and more likely to succeed academically. Communicating to your child that his high level of effort is commendable, regardless of outcome, promotes the idea that perseverance is the key to achievement.
-Discuss perceived successes and failures with your child. Point out that what he perceives to be a failure may not be "failure" at all. Talk about setting more realistic goals, ones that take into account gradual improvement.
-Allow your child to have some choice and control over their study habits and homework. Having a sense of ownership over their learning is motivating. If your child has difficulty regulating their work, give them some choices and make suggestions in a constructive, supportive manner about how to accomplish tasks effectively.
-Be flexible about the amount of time your child can spend with friends. Middle school students are emotionally invested in being accepted by peers, and research shows that middle school students actually do better in school when they feel that they "belong" socially.
-Give your child decision-making opportunities at home and support his decisions. Validating middle school students' growing problem-solving abilities by allowing them to make more household decisions helps to build confidence and empower them at school as well.
-Check in regularly. Ask your child how things are going with schoolwork and their social life in a way that shows you aren't "checking up" on him, but are genuinely interested. Even though your child is developing a new sense of responsibility and independence, he may still need (and welcome) advice.
-Encourage your child to learn new skills, stressing the benefits of having fun and expanding one's horizons, rather than mastery. Middle school students often doubt their social and academic competency, and may feel self-conscious about trying new things.
-Tell teachers about your child's interests, talents, needs and personality. You will help them to understand your child's needs better, and show teachers that you value and support their efforts in the classroom.
-eSCORE.com offers a free online parenting workshop on the middle school transition, in which parents learn how their child's developmental changes affect school performance, as well as relationships with parents, peers and teachers; practical strategies for helping their child adjust to these changes at home and in school; and how to cope with academic and peer pressure, their child's increasing need for independence, and lackluster motivation.

About SCORE! Learning, Inc.
SCORE! Learning, Inc. is a leading provider of customized learning programs for kids and educational resources for parents. The company's units are SCORE! Educational Centers, after-school education centers where students in grades K-10 build academic skills, self-confidence, and a love of learning; SCORE! Prep, which serves high school students with one-on-one, in-home tutoring for standardized tests and academic subjects; and eSCORE.com, the first web site giving parents customized tools and information to pinpoint their child's learning strengths and needs, and play a more effective role in their child's education and development. SCORE! Learning, Inc. is a subsidiary of Kaplan, Inc./The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).
Press Contact: pubrel@kaplan.com, (212) 492-5965

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