As youth transition into high school, many experience a larger, more competitive, and grade-oriented environment than middle school. Youth have more choices for classes, academic rigor, social life, and extracurricular activities. Developmentally, they are still in a period of massive changes in their bodies and brains, so parental support is essential as they make important decisions that can impact the next 4 years of their life.

How Can You Help?

Learn about the new class options. You should be actively involved in understanding the various programs that your child’s high school provides and the decisions that they personally make about the classes they take. Oftentimes there are college-prep programs, vocational programs, dual enrollment, and international baccalaureate (IB) programs, that start being offered in high school. Understanding all the options and long-term effects of course decisions is important.

Learn the rules. While your child may say that they do not need your help, you should still look at the school website and the student handbook, especially the code of conduct. Know the rules and help your child know the rules.

Know the school’s layout. If an orientation is offered to parents/guardians and students before school starts, make it your priority to attend. Bring your child’s academic schedule with you so you can walk through their day, including to their locker and the bathrooms. Class tardiness can turn into a disciplinary issue. So, the better you understand the layout of the school, the more you can help your child avoid this issue.

Get organized. If your child did not learn this in middle school, it is important to actively teach them how to organize and manage their assignments and activities. Find the best way to keep track of assignments from teachers, and work together with your child to set things up. Whether it is using physical or online calendars, planners, checklists, assignment binders, or mobile apps, help them choose something and let them manage it. You can check in from time to time to see how everything is going and help if any changes are needed.

Help your child learn how to study. Study skills are not always taught. Encourage your child to learn about different ways they can study instead of just rereading notes over and over. This will often lead to them having better grades and higher academic self-esteem. There are various ways to study, including the following:

• Summarizing key points in their own words
• Creating study guides and flashcards
• Redoing practice problems
• Creating practice tests

You can help your child by finding videos for them to watch or setting them up with an after-school tutor, if available. Youth that develop these skills will be better prepared for more advanced classes.

Get your child involved. Encourage your child to join sports teams, clubs, volunteer groups, or other extracurricular activities that are of interest to them. It is important to try to increase school attachment—including a sense of belonging and perceived school social support—during the transition to high school. Researchers find that increasing school attachment may decrease the risk of depressive symptoms, truancy, and dropping out, because students may feel better supported in navigating challenges associated with school.

If possible, bring devices out of their bedroom. Having computers, tablets, and phone-charging stations in a common place outside of their bedroom will help them be well-rested in the morning and help you monitor them online.

Talk to your child. Talk to your teenager about their daily lives, so that you know what is going on and who is in their life. Since friendships may include teenagers who drive, establish clear boundaries and talk through family rules about social events (parties), riding with other teenagers, and other issues that you believe will be important to your new high school student.

Conclusion

Parental involvement is still important in high school, as you help your child navigate their new academic and social world. Studies have shown that when parents/guardians are involved, students achieve more, are better adjusted, and are less likely to drop out of school. Before school starts, find out what your child is expecting from high school. What are they excited about? What are they nervous about? Ask open-ended questions at different time points and be prepared to listen.