9 Steps to Easier School Transitions

Kindergarten? Middle school? High school? Or just moving up a level? Parents can help smooth transitions at all levels.

by Kim Seidel

It could take up to seven weeks for an adult to make a connection with a child. It usually takes about seven seconds for a child to connect with another child.

That’s an important fact for parents to remember when your son or daughter is making an important transition in his or her school years, says Jon Froh, an English teacher at Onalaska High School.

1. Make a Connection. “Any time a child makes a connection with someone who has been through the pitfalls of school before, that will help the new student find success,” says Froh, who is a Link Crew Coordinator. The Link program connects high school students as mentors with incoming middle school students.

For parents whose children are heading to middle or high school for the first time and there is no structured mentoring program like Link, you can help them feel connected through a sibling or an older friend.

2. Encourage Involvement. Just as important, encourage them to get involved in activities – academics, the arts, sports, or clubs. “The more invested they are in their school, the better their futures will be,” Froh says.

3. Keep Communicating. The issues incoming middle school students face are real, with increased academic and social pressures. During this time, keep the lines of communication open with your child and their teachers.

“Asking a child questions about their school day, or his or her social life, is one thing. Getting the answers is another,” says Froh, the father of two young boys. “Parents need to constantly find ways to effectively communicate with their child. The students that have found social and academic success or avoided pitfalls of school life typically have open communication with their parents – and this idea comes straight from a few of our students involved in Link Crew!”

Prepare for School Days Ahead

Whether your child is entering kindergarten, elementary, middle or high school for the first time – or is moving up a grade level – experts agree there are steps to take to prepare all children for the school days just around the corner.

4. Practice new bedtimes. Practice getting to bed and waking up at the time needed to get ready for school. Start this a couple of weeks in advance of the first day of school.

5. Attend orientation sessions. Take your children to those back-to-school nights, where they can meet their teachers, see their friends, and get acquainted with their new classroom.

6. No surprises. Help your child to become familiar with the school’s routine, schedule, lunch, and recess. Read over schedules and other papers sent home.

7. Balancing act. Sit down with your child to discuss how they can best budget their time among homework, friends, and extracurricular activities.

8. Share your stories. Tell your child about your first day of school experiences and anxieties.

9. Listen to their stories. Pay attention to the stories children bring home from school. Let them know that no matter what, you’ll always be there for them.

Kim Seidel, a writer who lives in Onalaska with her family, has two daughters who will be transitioning into four-year-old kindergarten and the fourth grade this fall.