The transition to junior high school is often as hard for both children and parents as starting kindergarten. The school and home have a great need to stay in contact. Eight suggestions to help children through this difficult period are noted. (MT)

This guide has been written to help parents represent their children at New York City Board of Education hearings. The guide explains the rights of parents and children and explains the steps a parent should take in representing the child. It only applies to regular education junior high, intermediate, and elementary school suspensions. Sections…

This booklet prepares a student to take New Jersey's Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment (GEPA), a test that measures the knowledge and skills that will be tested later in the state's High School Proficiency Assessment. The GEPA has three test sections (content areas): Language Arts Literacy, Mathematics, and Science. The booklet tells students…

This research report compares parents' satisfaction about the quality of their eighth grade childrens' schooling with the childrens' mathematics achievement. The report uses data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS88). Despite low student achievement in mathematics as indicated by a study conducted in 1990, data from the…

Presents two sets of calendars for July and August that include simple science or math activities for each day. The first set is for students in grades 3-5; the second set is for middle school students. The activities motivate students to investigate and collect data and reinforce concepts learned in school. (SM)

This guide is designed to give the student helpful information about Arizona's Instrument To Measure the Standards (AIMS) for grade 8. The guide provides examples of the type of questions students see on AIMS and explains how items are scored. It does not teach what the student needs to know to do well on AIMS, but it will help the student know…

This book is part of a series that helps parents choose books for their children and talk with them about books in ways that actively engage children with the meaning on the printed page. The introduction notes that it is important for parents to continue sharing books with their children at this age (12 to 14 years). The first chapter, "Reading…

This set of materials contains three booklets that provide information to parents so they can assist and lead their children to productive adulthood. Each booklet examines several topics relating to parent participation. "Parents: The Key to a Child's Success" helps parents in preparing and supporting their children for success in…

Designed for use by junior high and middle school students, this annotated bibliography of over 1,100 titles of fiction and nonfiction also serves as a resource for teachers, librarians, and parents in search of titles that might catch the attention of such students. The bibliography presents annotations of books published or reissued in 1993 and…

A program to help a child develop a powerful vocabulary and become a better reader is described. A starter kit containing specific kinds of books and a notebook is used. Kit suggestions for students in junior high school, grades three or four, and grades five or six are offered. (MT)

To identify age-appropriate recreation and leisure activities for students with severe handicaps, 142 nondisabled seventh graders were surveyed. The survey identified favorite independent activities, activities with friends, activities with family, school activities, home activities, community activities, magazines, music groups, card and board…

This Spanish-language booklet is designed to provide parents of elementary and junior high school students with an understanding of the purpose and nature of homework along with suggestions for helping their children complete homework assignments successfully. Following a discussion of why teachers assign homework, how homework can help children…

As students reach junior high school, differences in science attitudes and abilities emerge between boys and girls. This paper highlights the most common differences between boys' and girls' attitudes towards science and discusses some factors that contribute to gender differences in science. Several activities that parents can do with their…

Marijuana is the illegal drug most often used in the United States. In the early 1990s marijuana use doubled among 8th graders and significantly increased among 10th and 12th graders. Accompanying this pattern of use is a significant erosion in antidrug perceptions and knowledge among young people. While marijuana use among high school seniors…

This booklet is designed to help middle school students and their parents analyze student study habits, plan a study schedule, organize a place to study, and actually study their subjects. Students and parents should analyze a typical day's activities to see how the student spends his or her time, using a chart to see how each hourly (or…