Preparing for the End of the School Year

With the end of the school year fast approaching it is important to help students prepare for the next grade and stay focused for finals.

Evaluate your elementary or middle school student for mastery of basic skills. The expected skills may be found at Common Core Standards and Michigan Merit Curriculum. The first is the national expectations for most U.S. states. The second is specific to Michigan students.

It is especially important to check out the competencies of eighth grade students as they prepare to enter a high school curriculum where independence is necessary.

FYI, final exams for most high school students account for 20% of their semester grade. Some teachers focus the exam on the most recent studies, while others want students to know everything they have studied since September.

While most high school teachers provide study sheets for the final, some do not. So, have your student find out if one will be forthcoming, what will be covered, and start studying NOW.

Cramming does not work. The information has to get into the active working memory, and that takes time and repetition. Vocabulary cards work well and can be carried in the purse or pocket.

Let’s keep students on track for the next few weeks before summer and determine what they need to improve before school begins in the fall