It has taken me 11 years to come up with a good answer to a question that is posed to me on a regular basis. “What can I do to begin preparing my child for college prior to high school?” Because colleges are not interested in what students did prior to high school, the subject held little interest for me. Admitting that I was wrong to hold that opinion wasn’t easy but the difference it makes with successfully completing the work involved with college applications is significant.
My program is broken into small assignments that require no more than five to 30 minutes of the student’s time each month. Procrastination reigns supreme most of the time and many clients must dedicate a portion of their summer to catching up. When students don’t know how to battle procrastination and don’t understand the wisdom and importance of completing a project while there is plenty of time to allow for mistakes and surprises, there is usually an unpleasant surprise waiting just around the corner. When dealing with college applications, there will be no additional time given once the deadline passes and they are unforgiving in their evaluation of the applications. You do not want an application file filled with last-minute work.
Getting a student ready to be responsible and timely with completing assigned work does not necessarily involve school work, even though it will have a positive effect on academics. The solution I found is a colleague that I have known for years. It really is true that the answers to many of your questions are right in front of you. Debbie Elder is a magician when it comes to getting the most out of young people. Her long and successful career of starting and running schools from levels K-12 is filled with thousands of success stories. She has summer workshops this month for parents and students. Also, elementary and middle school students are not the only ones that can benefit from attending her camp. Take a look at the site below and contact her if the content you fine will benefit your child and/or you. I know it will…
Debbie Elder: http://shadyoakprimary.com/events-list/