Transitioning to High School: Confessions of an ADD Housewife

I’m Micki from Confessions of an ADD Housewife. I am mom to six children, ranging in age from 3 to 15. Five of them attend our local magnet schools. My husband teaches middle school. It’s a busy life, but I still make time for Pinterest and Twitter, and my new friend, Google +

 

The transition from Middle or Junior High to High School is a difficult transition.

 

The training wheels have come off and the expectation is for the kids to take off riding on their own.

 

My oldest (Alex) still needed his training wheels his entire freshman year. He has Asperger’s syndrome, which is a form of high functioning autism. When most kids get the high school routine after a few weeks, it took my son the entire school year.

Because of this struggle, however, it’s helped us know what to do to help him succeed. And, hopefully really set his siblings up for success!

 

Organization in high school is a must. Just like with adults, some kids organize differently than others. Some kids do great with a big binder and subject dividers. Others…need a bit more intervention.

Kids love tech. Alex has really benefited from using a disabled smart phone. We download apps on our home wifi.

 

The Online Mom recently put together a list of the top 10 back to school Apps for high schoolers . Our family has been using a few of these apps for awhile and some of the teachers at our schools use them as well. My personal favorite is the Cozi family organizer. If it isn’t in Cozi, it’s not happening!

 

If your district doesn’t allow students to use even disabled smart phones in the classroom, a traditional student planner is a must. Use sticky notes to remind about things the kids need to bring to class that are out of the ordinary.

 

Don’t just leave the planner to your child. Check it out. Make sure it’s being used!

 

Create a Student Command Central. Transfer information from the planner to Dry Erase Boards. Have one for long term projects and one for assignments.  With long term assignments, create a timeline of each step the project needs for completion and DUE BY dates.

 

 

Check in frequently to make sure the steps are being done. Don’t just ask, ask to SEE the work. We’ve been burned by that one before!

 

Also in the Student Command Central, have a place to work, paper, pencils, erasers and all the other supplies needed for homework.

 

 

It’s also a good idea to have a Cork Board for important papers that need a signature, phone numbers and various online passwords for checking grades or accessing text books.

 

 

For day to day operations, we have Color Coded Folders for each class. Alex’s high school runs on a modified block schedule of blue and gold days. So, we chose folders in those colors and a red for the one class he has both days. He also has a different book bag for each day, completely loaded with supplies.

 

One of the middle schoolers in my house also has color coded folders. For example, my 8th grade daughter has used purple for her foreign language classes since the 6th grade. This is why elementary teachers often request specific colored folders on the back to school lists. It is an excellent tool for kids who need to organize visually.

 

Accordion files may also help your student in keep track of important papers or notes before a test. Flashcards in plastic baggies can be stored in the files, along with the notes to help study prior to finals. Kids sometimes make the mistake of throwing away the notes as soon as the chapter test is done…not realizing that in high school, the end of term finals cover the whole term!

 

Take the time to find out what your child thinks may be the most beneficial organizational tools. And don’t be afraid to switch it up if it’s not working.

 

Do you have any other organizational and transitional tips for high schoolers?