Middle school is three years that you do not need to document in a serious way. Colleges are interested in high school and test scores. Take advantage of these years to build up your child’s basic skills.
Reading levels vary widely in middle school. Some kids are just exercising their fluent reading muscles while other kids can handle whatever you toss their way. Rather than having a set list of books for your child to read each year, consider alternating – he chooses one, you choose the next.
If you’re lucky, you have a child that loves to write and has a natural inclination for spelling and grammar. If you’re like most of us, your child writes reluctantly and struggles to get his thoughts transferred from his brain to his pencil and ultimately to paper.
There is no sense in plowing ahead in math if your child has not mastered the basics – adding, subtraction, multiplication and division. Middle school is THE time to address any issues. It might feel like a step backwards, but you will save time and weepy math sessions in the future.