Skills and abilities to prep for public high school

[PhotoGal]

Ds (8th grade) is planning to go to our local public charter school for high school.  I would love to get your input on what skills/abilities we should focus on for the rest of the year (and just thoughts in general for getting ready for high school).  He homeschooled 1st-5th, went to school 6th & 7th, now homeschooling 8th.  Just adding that because he does have recent school experience.  Anyway, it might be nice to compile a list in general for high school prep.

 

Here is my list so far:

 

1) Be able to interact with the teacher (ask for help, etc.)

 

2)  Be able to plan ahead for exams/projects (time management)

 

3)  Be able to balance doing well without getting over stressed

 

4)  Be able to choose good friends - not sure how to teach this one, but seems very important

 

5)  General academic skills (write an essay, write up a science demonstration, show work in math, analyze literature for theme/symbolism)

 

 

What would you add?

[Lori D.]

Here are some past threads that might be of interest:

How to prepare a homeschool kid for [going to a] high school?

Preparing to transfer to a public high school

Hypothetical question: what to do ... before public high school?

What should I be prepared to get kids ready to enter public school

Transitioning to public school (going to 8th grade) 

Advice for me (DD going into 8th/9th public school)

 

 

 

PS -- and I'll just add:

- putting her name, date, and class at the top of every paper

- learning how to use a combination lock (for the locker)

- basic time management and "stuff" management (study skills)

- solid with touch typing (speeds up writing of papers)

- if the school has students use some sort of electronic "blackboard or aspect for getting assignments, or uploading assignments, practice over the summer if possible

Edited March 10, 2018 by Lori D.

[Pen]

I think your first 4 are great!  Study skills in general would be helpful, but other than showing work in math, most of number 5, IME, should be being taught in 9th grade and a child does not need to know how to do that ahead of time.  OTOH, how to take notes, how to study, are more likely to be needed and not to be taught.

[Pen]

also, you could call your own local school (and the middle school too) and ask what might have been taught in 8th that he might be missing. eg here, how to work with computer to make presentations, slide shows, typing, etc. had a required one semester class in 8th.

[SanDiegoMom]

And just to put you at ease, even if your child can't do many of them, he will most likely be ok. My public schooled daughter took a lot more time to really GET most of those skills. The only one she had going into high school was the ability to choose friends wisely. Time management - terrible. Stress from lack of balance- high. Math, writing organization, all was pretty low, and this was after a pretty high performing middle school. She learned and had all of them pretty well mastered by 12th grade. But yes, a lot of those skills would make it all a little easier!

[redsquirrel]

I've done this with one kid and starting it with another.  The biggest, and only challenge, was getting up on time and going to school every day, lol. Every other kid is in process of making a huge transition from middle to high school so my formerly homeschooled kid didn't stand out in any way. They all have trouble with time management, they are all socially awkward and transitioning from early puberty to full fledged teenagers, they are all meeting new friends. The teachers clearly expected a very broad range of skills, even in the honors classes, and taught accordingly.

 

It was really just the getting up and being on time, and the reality that when the third week rolls around that you actually have to keep going, lol.