Times Chronicle & Public Spirit

How to ease kids’ transition to a new school

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Being the new kid in school can be a tall order for youngsters. Children who change schools may face a host of challenges that studies suggest can affect both their social and academic developmen­t.

In a 2010 study that followed students who entered kindergart­en in 1998 through 2007, the Government Accountabi­lity Office found that 13 percent of students changed schools four or more times by the end of eighth grade. Such mobility can adversely affect students, as a study of 13,000 students in the city of Chicago found that children who had changed schools four or more times by the sixth grade were roughly a year behind their classmates.

In addition to the toll transferri­ng schools can take on their academic performanc­e, students also may experience difficulty assimilati­ng into their new schools. Though there’s no formula to make such transition­s easier, parents can try various strategies to help their kids successful­ly adjust to new schools.

• Speak with children about the transition. Pathways.org, a not-for-profit organizati­on devoted to providing free child developmen­t informatio­n to parents and health profession­als, recommends parents speak with their children about transition­ing to a new school. Encourage children to share what excites and worries them about the transition. The way parents discuss transition­s can go a long way toward shaping how kids view the change.

• Stay true to your routine. Pathways also recommends parents of students who are transition­ing to a

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 ?? PHOTO COURTESY OF METROCREAT­IVE ??
PHOTO COURTESY OF METROCREAT­IVE

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