by Angie Wilcock     Transition to high school is considered by some to be one of the most traumatic experiences our children will encounter. This period is already associated with huge physical, cognitive, and emotional changes – and they are expected to cope with social and academic change as well! Parents must also travel this path with their children and, for many, it is equally overwhelming.

For the students themselves, primary schools will generally be involved in some kind of ‘high school links’ program, where students engage in a familiarisation and orientation program with their local high school. This may take the form of a ‘buddy program’ with current Year 7 students mentoring the visiting Year 6 students – with the aim that this ‘connection’ will continue the following year as Year 7 and Year 8 ‘buddies’; or it may be that Year 6 students are invited to participate in lessons such as Woodwork, Art, Drama etc – these lessons are taught by the high school teachers who will be teaching these students in Year 7, and serve as an introduction to the subject as well as the teacher. The kids LOVE this initiation to high school and just can’t wait to be part of it.

For the parents, orientation sessions are part and parcel of the introduction to their child’s new high school – covering all angles of school systems and operations.

However, transition is far more complex than this. School routines will soon be established; new friends will soon be made; new subjects and teachers will soon become familiar; new timetables and classrooms will be an accepted part of the day. But….what about the inevitable, and sometimes overwhelming, increase in workload, assignments and study routines? To REALLY cope with this huge leap into high school, we need to look at developing some long-term coping and management strategies….. and the sooner the better.

Parents and their children CAN work together as a team to develop these strategies –  it CAN BE DONE! 

Research in both the U.K and the U.S indicates that positive parental involvement in children’s learning – even at the secondary level – has a direct and positive impact on learning outcomes, as well as increasing the potential for a commitment to life-long learning.

So, how can parents be ‘participants’ in their child’s education …without making it TOO obvious?

• Don’t wait until Year 7 before deciding that your child needs some organisation strategies – you need to think about a filing and storage system for all the study notes, summaries, assignments, research tasks etc that will be given to your child in high school

• Don’t wait until that first assignment is due before realising that your child needs to develop planning and time management skills

• Don’t wait until your child is so tired and stressed by homework that you make a decision to reduce the number of extra activities happening each afternoon

• Don’t wait until your child becomes so overwhelmed by the expectations of others that you decide to act. Be proactive and start putting some practical strategies into place in primary school. If neither you nor your child uses a planner or diary on a regular basis, primary school is a great time to start using one –and there is definitely a RIGHT way and a WRONG way to use these organisation ‘tools’!

Transition phases in education, whether from pre-school to primary, primary to high school or high school to the work place, are periods of growth and change. Parents need to remain ‘in the loop’ and focus on the positives with their children. Whether your child is 5 years of age or 18, they still need the support and understanding of their parents – open lines of communication are critical.

Believe it or not, questions I am asked by parents of children starting school or starting work have a commonality – how do we help our kids achieve their potential? The earlier we start putting some ‘tried and true’ methods into practice, the better our kids will cope with these changes and the greater their chance of happiness and success.

About the author: With a background in international sport, two teenage sons and more than twenty years in the classroom, Angie Wilcock understands about motivation and its role not just on the sporting field, but also in education.  Angie left teaching as a full-time profession three years ago to start her company, High Hopes Educational Services, and to develop programs of information, support and strategies for parents and their children in the areas of transition to high school; learning styles; organisation and time management strategies; writing essays and assignments; prioritising tasks and goal-setting.

Link: High Hopes

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