4 Ways Parents Can Make Homeschooling Stress-Free
by Alyssa Austin
by Beth Werrell
4 min to readWhether students attend a brick-and-mortar or online school, making the transition from middle school to high school is important for several reasons: students are becoming more independent, exploring new extracurricular activities, making new friends, and taking on new responsibilities.
With so many exciting possibilities, the freshman year of high school can present both academic and emotional challenges. Although it can be a struggle to make a strong start, a student’s (and parents’!) efforts to have a successful freshman year are worth it!
Starting high school can be intimidating, and with the new environment, peer pressure, and adolescent hormones, teens find it hard to stay focused on academics. With these challenges, it should come as no surprise that research has shown that ninth grade students tend to have lower academic performance, more absences, and more behavior problems compared to other high school grade levels.
But while it could be tempting to dismiss these issues as short-term “growing pains” during the transition to high school, consider that the freshman year is also a make-or-break year in setting the stage for graduating and getting a high -school diploma. Numerous studies have shown that students who complete freshman year with the required number of credits are twice as likely to graduate within four years than students who are off track.
If you are a student starting high school this fall or there is a freshman in your family, use these suggestions to start out strong:
For parents of freshmen, this ninth-grade transition can be a learning curve on your part, too. While your “baby” is growing up and acquiring more independence, he or she will still need help in a couple of areas.
Moving up to high school is entering a new stage of life, and while it can get overwhelming for students and parents alike, it can also be a positive journey with new experiences and new friends. So keep your eyes on the endgame of getting a high school diploma! Getting a strong start during the freshman year is the first big step toward graduating four years down the road—and achieving success in “real life.”
To learn how you can be more involved in your child’s education through online public school, visit the Connections Academy website. Or to learn about online private school, visit Pearson Online Academy ’s website.
by Alyssa Austin
by Susan Cokas
by Connections Academy