Did you know that...
"A poll of middle and high school students commissioned by the National Education Association found that 56% of young people say they read more than 10 books a year, with middle school students reading the most. Some 70% of middle school students read more than 10 books a year, compared with only 49% of high school students."
Source: National Education Association poll by Peter D. Hart Research Associates, 2001
Coupled with the pressures of peers, entering the next step of their educational level, and adolescent issues such as puberty, middle school can be a challenging and stressful time for a child. Licensed professionals advise that the more parents and teachers support them through this important developmental period, the smoother the road toward adulthood will be. Here is a list of middle school resources for parents, children, and educators.
For Parents of Middle Schoolers
Scholastic offers a list of important tools that may help your middle schooler complete homework assignments and research reports.
http://www.scholastic.com/resources/article/essential-references
Education.com provides a list of books for children of all ages. Click on the appropriate links below to view two different book lists: a book list for sixth graders reading at an advanced level and another book list for parents to read and discuss with their tweens as they enter middle school.
http://www.education.com/reference/article/sixth-grade-books-challenging-reading/
For Middle School Students
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is an organization that advocates library services to children. ALSC compiles a list of online resources for kids that include topics such as authors and illustrators, language learning, and writing by children. For more information visit http://www.ala.org/greatsites.
For Middle School Teachers
Middle school teachers can find a variety of online resources at A to Z Teacher Stuff. Thematic units, lesson plans, and downloadable teaching materials are among many of the language arts resources available at
http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/Lesson_Plans/Language_Arts/_Grades_6-8/index.shtm
The Education World Special Education Subject Center has an array of information and tools chosen specifically for the special education community. Find out more at http://www.educationworld.com/special_ed/