7th Grade Academic Changes: What to Expect
Academic concepts continue to get more advanced, and students will really need to use their study skills this year.
By Patti Ghezzi
Did someone say “algebra”? The math curriculum varies by state, but most 7th graders will be introduced to pre-algebra. They’ll also be expected to read more complicated texts, write papers, and give oral presentations. They may complete a project for a science fair or social studies fair.
Seventh grade is also a huge year for reinforcing study skills. In science and social studies, your child will be expected to study for a test at home using methods that work best for his learning style.
Parents can help their child succeed in 7th grade by letting her be in control of her education but remaining on standby to step in if needed to help her get organized and stay on task.
A 7th grade parent’s best friends are progress reports and teacher conferences. This is not the year to expect your child to tell you what’s going on at school. You’ll need to find out from the source: your child’s teachers.
Language Arts
The 7th grade curriculum builds on the previous year, with higher expectations in reading comprehension and vocabulary. Passages will be longer, and students will be expected to do more than just answer a few questions directly based on the material. They’ll be expected to infer from the passage, interpret the author’s ideas, and draw from additional sources to reach conclusions.
To teach writing, many schools use the workshop approach. Seventh-graders work through the writing process, using peer review to improve their work. At this age, kids sometimes struggle with the difference between fact and opinion and may need prodding to back up their opinions with well-researched facts.
One thing conspicuously absent from some 7th graders’ lives is reading for pleasure. “As kids get older, they’re reading fewer and fewer books,” says P. David Pearson, dean of the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley.
Students may be required to read a classic or two as part of the language arts curriculum. But to develop the reading prowess necessary to succeed in high school and beyond, they need to make independent reading a habit. Parents can help their kids find books that match their interests and reading level and help them carve out time for reading.
Another aspect of modern middle school life that parents and teachers find frustrating: the shorthand, slang-heavy language kids use when communicating with each other. Pearson addresses this by encouraging students to recognize the difference between personal, interpersonal, and public writing. “With personal writing [that] you do for yourself, spell any way you want,” he explains. “With interpersonal writing, where you’re acquainted with the audience, if you’ve communicated clearly then you’ve succeeded. With public writing, it must be conventional.”
Mathematics
Math looms large in middle school. Many parents and kids perceive success in 7th grade math as a ticket to honors courses in high school, followed by admission to a competitive college. In reality, your child’s placement in middle school math should not determine the course of her future. Kids are grouped by ability so they can learn what they need to move to the next stage.
If your child struggles in middle school but wants to pursue honors courses in high school, online and summer courses can help him catch up, says Susan Rakow, an assistant professor of curriculum at Cleveland State University and the author of Educating Gifted Students in Middle School: A Practical Guide.
Many 7th grade students will develop a deeper understanding of measurement and geometry while also being introduced to some algebra concepts. Some schools will focus more exclusively on algebra, a subject once taught in 9th grade but now increasingly taught to most students in 8th grade.
Such curriculum shifts should not be cause for alarm. Most kids can do the work; for those who struggle, support services are available at school or in the community.
Parents should be careful not to project their negative attitudes toward math onto their child. They should also avoid pushing children into advanced classes if they aren’t ready for advanced work, says Rakow, a former 7th grade classroom teacher. “Many times, parents want their kids in honors classes because of the perception that the kids are well-behaved,” she says. “But if your child is struggling in a class of people who soar, that will be a blow to their self-esteem.”
Science
Like math, science can be intimidating in 7th grade as students are introduced to lab reports and expected to study independently for tests. But science should be a fun subject for 7th graders; it’s hands-on and connected to their immediate world.
The curriculum will vary, but many 7th graders will study the natural world and the human body, with an emphasis on collecting data, forming hypotheses, and using the scientific method to test the hypotheses.
Students at this grade level most likely will participate in a science fair, giving them a chance to explore a topic of interest in depth. Parents should resist the temptation to get overly involved in their child’s science project, though they may be needed to assist in selecting a manageable topic, breaking the large project into smaller pieces, and gathering supplies.
Social Studies
Social studies and history may get overlooked in a curriculum so heavily weighted in math, science, reading, and writing. But 7th grade is an important year for learning how to study, and social studies is an ideal place to help your child figure out how to use the textbook, class notes, and other sources to prepare for a test.
Often, bright students stumble in 7th grade because they have never had to study, Rakow notes. “They have never made flash cards,” she says. “They never had to.”
Many 7th graders will study American history, a subject they will revisit in high school and college, making it worthwhile to learn as much as they can now.
Grade 7 is a time when students discover which subjects they’re good at and which ones don’t come so easily. It’s a time to develop solid study skills and to learn to balance schoolwork with their social and family lives. It’s also a time when some students will struggle academically for the first time. Instead of panicking, parents should recognize this as an important stage of self-discovery.
“What it takes to get an A in 7th grade is not the same as what it takes to get an A in 3rd grade,” Rakow says. “Nobody should be getting straight A’s in 7th grade. If they do, they probably aren’t being challenged enough.”
By Patti Ghezzi
Did someone say “algebra”? The math curriculum varies by state, but most 7th graders will be introduced to pre-algebra. They’ll also be expected to read more complicated texts, write papers, and give oral presentations. They may complete a project for a science fair or social studies fair.
Seventh grade is also a huge year for reinforcing study skills. In science and social studies, your child will be expected to study for a test at home using methods that work best for his learning style.
Parents can help their child succeed in 7th grade by letting her be in control of her education but remaining on standby to step in if needed to help her get organized and stay on task.
A 7th grade parent’s best friends are progress reports and teacher conferences. This is not the year to expect your child to tell you what’s going on at school. You’ll need to find out from the source: your child’s teachers.
Language Arts
The 7th grade curriculum builds on the previous year, with higher expectations in reading comprehension and vocabulary. Passages will be longer, and students will be expected to do more than just answer a few questions directly based on the material. They’ll be expected to infer from the passage, interpret the author’s ideas, and draw from additional sources to reach conclusions.
To teach writing, many schools use the workshop approach. Seventh-graders work through the writing process, using peer review to improve their work. At this age, kids sometimes struggle with the difference between fact and opinion and may need prodding to back up their opinions with well-researched facts.
One thing conspicuously absent from some 7th graders’ lives is reading for pleasure. “As kids get older, they’re reading fewer and fewer books,” says P. David Pearson, dean of the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley.
Students may be required to read a classic or two as part of the language arts curriculum. But to develop the reading prowess necessary to succeed in high school and beyond, they need to make independent reading a habit. Parents can help their kids find books that match their interests and reading level and help them carve out time for reading.
Another aspect of modern middle school life that parents and teachers find frustrating: the shorthand, slang-heavy language kids use when communicating with each other. Pearson addresses this by encouraging students to recognize the difference between personal, interpersonal, and public writing. “With personal writing [that] you do for yourself, spell any way you want,” he explains. “With interpersonal writing, where you’re acquainted with the audience, if you’ve communicated clearly then you’ve succeeded. With public writing, it must be conventional.”
Mathematics
Math looms large in middle school. Many parents and kids perceive success in 7th grade math as a ticket to honors courses in high school, followed by admission to a competitive college. In reality, your child’s placement in middle school math should not determine the course of her future. Kids are grouped by ability so they can learn what they need to move to the next stage.
If your child struggles in middle school but wants to pursue honors courses in high school, online and summer courses can help him catch up, says Susan Rakow, an assistant professor of curriculum at Cleveland State University and the author of Educating Gifted Students in Middle School: A Practical Guide.
Many 7th grade students will develop a deeper understanding of measurement and geometry while also being introduced to some algebra concepts. Some schools will focus more exclusively on algebra, a subject once taught in 9th grade but now increasingly taught to most students in 8th grade.
Such curriculum shifts should not be cause for alarm. Most kids can do the work; for those who struggle, support services are available at school or in the community.
Parents should be careful not to project their negative attitudes toward math onto their child. They should also avoid pushing children into advanced classes if they aren’t ready for advanced work, says Rakow, a former 7th grade classroom teacher. “Many times, parents want their kids in honors classes because of the perception that the kids are well-behaved,” she says. “But if your child is struggling in a class of people who soar, that will be a blow to their self-esteem.”
Science
Like math, science can be intimidating in 7th grade as students are introduced to lab reports and expected to study independently for tests. But science should be a fun subject for 7th graders; it’s hands-on and connected to their immediate world.
The curriculum will vary, but many 7th graders will study the natural world and the human body, with an emphasis on collecting data, forming hypotheses, and using the scientific method to test the hypotheses.
Students at this grade level most likely will participate in a science fair, giving them a chance to explore a topic of interest in depth. Parents should resist the temptation to get overly involved in their child’s science project, though they may be needed to assist in selecting a manageable topic, breaking the large project into smaller pieces, and gathering supplies.
Social Studies
Social studies and history may get overlooked in a curriculum so heavily weighted in math, science, reading, and writing. But 7th grade is an important year for learning how to study, and social studies is an ideal place to help your child figure out how to use the textbook, class notes, and other sources to prepare for a test.
Often, bright students stumble in 7th grade because they have never had to study, Rakow notes. “They have never made flash cards,” she says. “They never had to.”
Many 7th graders will study American history, a subject they will revisit in high school and college, making it worthwhile to learn as much as they can now.
Grade 7 is a time when students discover which subjects they’re good at and which ones don’t come so easily. It’s a time to develop solid study skills and to learn to balance schoolwork with their social and family lives. It’s also a time when some students will struggle academically for the first time. Instead of panicking, parents should recognize this as an important stage of self-discovery.
“What it takes to get an A in 7th grade is not the same as what it takes to get an A in 3rd grade,” Rakow says. “Nobody should be getting straight A’s in 7th grade. If they do, they probably aren’t being challenged enough.”
7th Grade Social Changes: What to Expect
Written by Patti Ghezzi
The beginning of the teenage years is a confusing time for many adolescents—and for parents trying to understand their behavior.
To get an idea of the 7th grader’s mindset, take a look at his backpack, if you dare. Chances are it’s a disorganized mess of papers, books, headphones, and half-eaten bags of chips.
“It’s all part of the 7th grade package,” says Susan Rakow, an assistant professor of education at Cleveland State University and a veteran 7th grade teacher.
Grade 7 is a transitional time when kids are leaving their childhood behind and looking ahead to high school. Their lives are changing, their bodies are changing, and keeping their math homework in the correct folder just isn’t a priority.
“Seventh-graders, particularly boys, face significant challenges in organization and motivation,” Rakow says. “It’s typical of adolescence. They’re asserting their uniqueness and facing new challenges.”
Actions Have Consequences
Students in 7th grade often spend time and energy convincing their parents to go away, but in reality kids at this age need clear limits, meaningful consequences, and parental support. Instead, parents sometimes take a hands-off approach in hopes that their child will become more independent.
For parents struggling with how much to hover during homework time, Rakow offers this advice: Let the first half of the first marking period go by without intervening unless she asks for help. Once you get initial feedback from the school, adjust the game plan accordingly. If her grades in math are terrible, Rakow suggests, you can say “I need to see your math homework every night before you put it in your backpack.”
If that doesn’t happen, “then have consequences,” she says. “Real ones.” For example, you could take away your child’s video games until her grades come up or restrict access to television, the computer, or her cell phone.
It’s important that parents make good on their threats of punishment. If you tell your 7th grader you’re going to ground her if you get another report saying she isn’t doing her homework, then you need to ground her.
“Our lives are so busy, we don’t follow through on consequences,” Rakow says. “The kids find out we’re full of baloney.”
Another shift that continues from 5th and 6th grades is the need for kids to gain approval from peers rather than adults. They are no longer motivated to do well in school because they want to please their teachers or their parents. They want to gain favor among their peers. Girls who have always been good at math may get the message that it’s cooler to be dumb in class than to be the student who always has the right answer.
They are searching for meaning in their lives but often find school assignments void of meaning. “They question us and say ‘Why do I have to do this?’ and we say ‘Because you’ll need to know it later when you’re in the real world,’ ” Rakow says.
Like so many parental retorts, that doesn’t cut it. “They live in an immediate, self-involved place,” she says. A 7th grader responds better to a reply such as “Because if you don’t learn it and your grade drops, you are going to be grounded every Saturday night for a month.”
The hardest part about having a 7th grader is that their behavior can be confusing. One minute you’re talking about current events and your child seems like an adult; the next, he’s stomping away and throwing a temper tantrum, Rakow says. That’s why it’s so important for parents not to let discipline issues slide: “It goes from being a stage to being their behavior.”
Time for Exploration
Another issue parents face with their 7th grader is conflict over activities. Your child may want to play a sport as well as an instrument and remain active in a youth group, running her parents ragged. Or she may want to drop piano lessons in favor of soccer.
“It’s a very exploratory time of life,” Rakow says. “In many cases, the child has a lot of interests.”
Rakow recommends allowing your child to explore several activities if he wants to, knowing that by high school his interests will have narrowed. “If you really think they’re making a poor choice, you negotiate,” she says. For example, you may be able to convince your child to stick with piano lessons for one more year if you promise to let him drop the activity without a guilt trip if he still wants to at the end of that time.
Even as your child is busy juggling more activities and subjects than ever before, he may have little to say. You ask how school was: “Fine.” You ask what he did: “Nothing.”
“Too often, the parents give up and don’t pursue it,” Rakow says. She prefers a play-by-play approach: What did you do in first period? Second period? At lunch?
Once your child tires of this interrogation, he might just open up and give you a few more details the first time you ask “How was school?”
The 7th grader can test a parent’s patience, but the key is to not surrender. Once they learn it’s not OK to quit doing their homework, to stop working hard in school, to demand a cell phone only to never answer it when a parent calls, and to mumble one-word responses to their parents, they’ll realize it’s useless to push back.
And then, don’t be surprised if out of nowhere you get a glimpse of the fantastic teenager your child is turning into. “When a child is well-parented in middle school,” Rakow says, “I find that they rise to the occasion.”
For more information check out www.schoolfamily.com.
The beginning of the teenage years is a confusing time for many adolescents—and for parents trying to understand their behavior.
To get an idea of the 7th grader’s mindset, take a look at his backpack, if you dare. Chances are it’s a disorganized mess of papers, books, headphones, and half-eaten bags of chips.
“It’s all part of the 7th grade package,” says Susan Rakow, an assistant professor of education at Cleveland State University and a veteran 7th grade teacher.
Grade 7 is a transitional time when kids are leaving their childhood behind and looking ahead to high school. Their lives are changing, their bodies are changing, and keeping their math homework in the correct folder just isn’t a priority.
“Seventh-graders, particularly boys, face significant challenges in organization and motivation,” Rakow says. “It’s typical of adolescence. They’re asserting their uniqueness and facing new challenges.”
Actions Have Consequences
Students in 7th grade often spend time and energy convincing their parents to go away, but in reality kids at this age need clear limits, meaningful consequences, and parental support. Instead, parents sometimes take a hands-off approach in hopes that their child will become more independent.
For parents struggling with how much to hover during homework time, Rakow offers this advice: Let the first half of the first marking period go by without intervening unless she asks for help. Once you get initial feedback from the school, adjust the game plan accordingly. If her grades in math are terrible, Rakow suggests, you can say “I need to see your math homework every night before you put it in your backpack.”
If that doesn’t happen, “then have consequences,” she says. “Real ones.” For example, you could take away your child’s video games until her grades come up or restrict access to television, the computer, or her cell phone.
It’s important that parents make good on their threats of punishment. If you tell your 7th grader you’re going to ground her if you get another report saying she isn’t doing her homework, then you need to ground her.
“Our lives are so busy, we don’t follow through on consequences,” Rakow says. “The kids find out we’re full of baloney.”
Another shift that continues from 5th and 6th grades is the need for kids to gain approval from peers rather than adults. They are no longer motivated to do well in school because they want to please their teachers or their parents. They want to gain favor among their peers. Girls who have always been good at math may get the message that it’s cooler to be dumb in class than to be the student who always has the right answer.
They are searching for meaning in their lives but often find school assignments void of meaning. “They question us and say ‘Why do I have to do this?’ and we say ‘Because you’ll need to know it later when you’re in the real world,’ ” Rakow says.
Like so many parental retorts, that doesn’t cut it. “They live in an immediate, self-involved place,” she says. A 7th grader responds better to a reply such as “Because if you don’t learn it and your grade drops, you are going to be grounded every Saturday night for a month.”
The hardest part about having a 7th grader is that their behavior can be confusing. One minute you’re talking about current events and your child seems like an adult; the next, he’s stomping away and throwing a temper tantrum, Rakow says. That’s why it’s so important for parents not to let discipline issues slide: “It goes from being a stage to being their behavior.”
Time for Exploration
Another issue parents face with their 7th grader is conflict over activities. Your child may want to play a sport as well as an instrument and remain active in a youth group, running her parents ragged. Or she may want to drop piano lessons in favor of soccer.
“It’s a very exploratory time of life,” Rakow says. “In many cases, the child has a lot of interests.”
Rakow recommends allowing your child to explore several activities if he wants to, knowing that by high school his interests will have narrowed. “If you really think they’re making a poor choice, you negotiate,” she says. For example, you may be able to convince your child to stick with piano lessons for one more year if you promise to let him drop the activity without a guilt trip if he still wants to at the end of that time.
Even as your child is busy juggling more activities and subjects than ever before, he may have little to say. You ask how school was: “Fine.” You ask what he did: “Nothing.”
“Too often, the parents give up and don’t pursue it,” Rakow says. She prefers a play-by-play approach: What did you do in first period? Second period? At lunch?
Once your child tires of this interrogation, he might just open up and give you a few more details the first time you ask “How was school?”
The 7th grader can test a parent’s patience, but the key is to not surrender. Once they learn it’s not OK to quit doing their homework, to stop working hard in school, to demand a cell phone only to never answer it when a parent calls, and to mumble one-word responses to their parents, they’ll realize it’s useless to push back.
And then, don’t be surprised if out of nowhere you get a glimpse of the fantastic teenager your child is turning into. “When a child is well-parented in middle school,” Rakow says, “I find that they rise to the occasion.”
For more information check out www.schoolfamily.com.