Middle School Students
In elementary school, learners typically have one main teacher and specialists. In middle school, they now have to move from class to class as opposed to having people come to them. It’s a big shift towards the expectations of agency and independence. The workload is greater, and the stakes are higher since performance in middle school influences a student’s high school future. While learners are asked to be more responsible for their time at this life stage, there are expanding and competing demands on this time (i.e., peer relationships and extracurricular activities) and complications like digital distractions.
At this point in a child’s development, they often want to manage their academics on their own but may not be equipped to do so. Caregivers might find themselves constantly reminding their child to complete assignments, worrying about their inability to control their frustration or feeling stress due to their child’s procrastination and disorganization. These concerns can indicate self-regulatory learning challenges. Learners can strengthen self-regulatory learning skills for improvements in the near term, while also preparing them for success in high school.