How to Pick a Good Middle School For Your Child   The Wonder Years, the Crazy Hormone Years, whatever you want to call it, the Middle School Years are a tough time for kids. I know. I worked in a middle school for many years and witnessed firsthand the angst and trials that youngsters go through in middle school. The 6th through 8th grades are really the most critical years for children. This is the point in their lives when they must master the basics of reading, math, and science. If the basics do not become second nature to them they will have a much more difficult time in High School. Finding a good middle school is very important. How they perform in middle school can have repercussions for their entire life. Here are some characteristics of a good middle school.

1)      The school’s focus should be on academic excellence, developing all aspects of the child, and nurturing the student. Pre-teens need a lot of guidance. Look for evidence of high levels of individual attention being given to students as well various opportunities for personal growth (for example after school clubs and activities.)

2)      Get the statistics of the school you wish to send your child to. Statistics such as the student and teacher attendance rate, standardized test scores, average amount of years teachers have worked at the school, and suspension rate are good indicators of a school.

3)       Find out what students who attend the school think about it. If your child has older friends ask their friends what the school is like. If they say that the teachers are strict and it is no fun, that’s usually a good sign!

4)      Talking with the teacher’s who work at the school is actually one of the best ways to find out what a school is like. They can explain the dynamics of the school better than anyone else because they work directly with the children everyday.

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