When do our students be- gin their collegiate jour- ney? Is it really the mo- ment they graduate high
school, or does it start many years prior
to this milestone? Educators and parents
alike;debate;this;very;question.
Caroline;Brokaw;Tucker,;professional
college consultant in New Canaan, Con-necticut,;explains:;“Preparation;for;the
college process can begin as early as
the spring of eighth grade as students
and families are beginning to select the
courses for freshman year; those course
selections set the stage for the rest of a
student’s high school curriculum and
can;be;critical.”;It;is;important;to;begin
early.;Accentuate;students’;interests;and
talents, encourage academic endeavors,
and;provide;the;spirited;“You;can;do;it!”
mantra along the way.
Middle School—The Adventure
Begins
• Facilitate healthy homework and
studying habits. This will enhance executive functioning skills and lay a
foundation of academic routine for
your students.
•;Encourage;nightly;reading,;expository
and narrative, and require students to
read weekly news articles. Exposing
students to various genres of text will
broaden their reading comprehension
abilities, enhance fluency, and build
vocabulary.
•;Establish;a;structured;work;and;study
space.;It;may;be;a;cozy;corner;of;the
living;room,;the;hard-surfaced;kitchen
table,;or;a;well-lit;office;space.;Be;sure
it is relatively quiet and conducive to
studying.
•;Have;students;take;part;in;extracurric-ulars, sports, clubs, music lessons, and
other;activities.;Allow;students;to;find
their passion and explore venues of self-expression, exercise, and sociability.
•;Volunteer;and;perform;community;ser-vice;with;students.;Build;their understanding of the world around them via
helping those in need, cleaning the envi-ronment,;or;taking;part;in;a;dear;cause.
•;Don’t;forget;to;the;lay;the;foundations
of a foreign language. Many colleges
have foreign language requirements
for admission. Start early while the
brain is malleable and receptive to new
language constructs.
Ninth and Tenth Grades: Keep on
Truckin’
•;Enrollment;in;courses;that;show;evi-dence of rigor is critical. “Rigor of
record”;is;a;common;college;admis-sions;checkpoint;;when;perusing;the
high;school;transcript,;they;check;the
courses;taken.;Can;your;student;take
AP courses? Honors level? Is this a
good time for additional reading com-prehension;instruction;and;organiza-tional;skill;building?
•;Support;your;students;when;they;want
to;partake;in;high;school-level;extra-curriculars and clubs. Continue to
ask;students;to;venture;into;the;arts,
sports, community service, and more.
•;Ask;your;students;to;try;new;things!
Encourage students to engage in new
activities that could be out of their
comfort zone but worthwhile. Take
that optional freshman trip to the
Adirondacks.;Go;on;the;mission;trip
to;Guatemala.;Bake;brownies;for;the
school;fundraiser.;It;doesn’t;hurt;to;try.
• Establish study buddies and groups.
Foster;a;sense;of;teamwork;and;peer
assistance among your students; it will
mirror the academic relationships to
www.TheOldSchoolhouse.com
By;Jeanette;Ritch
Oh,;the;Places
They Will
Go!
Preparation;for;the;college;process;can
begin as early as the spring of eighth grade . . .
