Middle school changes the job. There are several teachers instead of one, homework from each of them, and math that turns abstract in the space of a year. Capable children can lose their footing here for reasons that have little to do with ability.
A tutor at this stage teaches the subject and the habits around it: how to take notes from a chapter, how to start a problem set, how to study for a test over three days instead of one night.
What lessons focus on
- The subject that slipped
- Usually one course is the problem. Start there and leave the rest alone.
- Study habits
- Planning a week, breaking down an assignment and checking work are skills, and they can be taught.
- Getting ready for high school
- Pre-algebra and paragraph writing are the two things grade 9 teachers assume. They are worth securing now.
Subjects for grade 6 to grade 8
Math
- Ratios, rates and percentages
- Negative numbers and the order of operations
- Expressions, equations and inequalities
- Area, volume and angles
- Graphs, tables and basic statistics
English
- Reading longer texts and finding the main idea
- Grammar and punctuation
- Building a paragraph around one point
- Narrative, informative and persuasive writing
- Vocabulary from context
Science
- Cells, body systems and heredity
- Earth’s layers, rocks and plate movement
- Atoms, elements and the periodic table
- Energy, forces and motion
- Lab reports and reading graphs
Social studies
- Ancient and world civilizations
- U.S. history from the colonies onward
- Physical and human geography
- How government works
- Reading sources and taking notes
Your part as a parent
You book and pay; your child does the work. Open the lesson, then give them some room. Afterwards, ask your child what they covered before you ask the tutor. It tells you how much stayed.
Questions about middle school tutoring
My child says they do not need a tutor. What now?
Offer a single lesson on one specific assignment rather than “tutoring”. There is no subscription, so one lesson is all you are committing to.
How often should a middle schooler meet a tutor?
Once a week in one subject is a sensible start. Add a second lesson before a big test if it helps, and stop when the grades and the confidence are back.
Can a tutor help with organisation, not just a subject?
Yes, as part of subject lessons. Ask the tutor to spend the first few minutes on planning the week’s work.
