6th Grade Ready: Expert Advice for Parents to Navigate the Year Ahead

Praise for 6th Grade Ready

“What an amazing resource for 6th-grade families! While a 6th-grade orientation day is valuable, it is a whirlwind of information. To be able to have the advice of 6th-grade teachers easily available when the time is right is priceless. The thing that I love most about this book is that it covers topics for the whole span of a student’s first year of middle school. 6th Grade Ready starts with the difference between 5th and 6th grade, moves on to how to get motivated to come to school, overcoming challenges, and ends preparing for 7th grade. Everything in between will help families with real advice and conversation starters. You will be picking up this book over and over again!”—Ashlee Peters-Roberts, 2023 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year Finalist

“The sixth grade scaries can be an overwhelming time for both students and parents. 6th Grade Ready is an important field guide of information for any parent preparing to make the leap from elementary school to middle school. Each chapter is thoughtfully written by a seasoned educator with helpful, applicable advice to help parents navigate the ups and downs of tween emotions, education, and friendships. Every parent entering into the 6th-grade arena would be wise to keep this on their nightstand for the year to come.”—Michelle Faust, M. Ed., Literacy Coach

“As a parent, grandparent, and school administrator with 43 years of public-school experience, I understand the anxiety and excitement that comes with your child entering the 6th grade. It’s a crucial transitional period, where they face new academic and social challenges. 6th Grade Ready: Expert Advice to Help Parents Navigate the Years Ahead is a remarkable book that compiles the collective wisdom of experienced educators, many of whom have been named Teacher of the Year and who have firsthand experience with 6th graders. Their combined knowledge provides a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by 6th graders and offers a holistic approach to supporting your child during this crucial phase of their academic journey…Overall, 6th Grade Ready is an invaluable resource for parents embarking on their child’s 6th-grade journey. It offers practical advice, expert insights, and empathetic guidance that will empower parents to support their child’s holistic development during this crucial year.”—Dr. Kimbe Lange, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment and Director of Gifted Services, Oakwood Schools, Ohio

Updated for the 2024-25 school year!

6th Grade Ready: Expert Advice to Help Parents Navigate the Years Ahead includes:

• Expert advice on a wide range of topics, from academic expectations to emotional and social development.
• Practical suggestions and relatable anecdotes.
• Conversation starters for you and your middle schooler to open new lines of communication that can continue throughout the school year.
• Effective strategies to balance guidance and support with encouraging self-reliance, helping parents strike the right balance.

Each contributor to 6th Grade Ready is a current or former 6th grade teacher, who has worked extensively with parents and families of students. Contributors have all been Teachers of the Year or finalists in their state or are nationally recognized educators. Sixth grade can be a major year of change for your child, whether it's their first year in middle school or not. This book helps you as you support your student to be the best they can be.

6th Grade Ready is one of a series of guides published by Parent Ready. Parent Ready's guides help parents navigate the milestones, challenges and passions of their adolescent and young adult kids. More at https://parentready.com.

Timothy M. Dove, an educator for 42 years, is the Ohio State Teacher of the Year in 2011 and 2012. Tim was a middle school teacher for 32 years and helped develop the Global Scholars Diploma program. He taught high schoolers for three years, was an adjunct professor at The Ohio State University for 20 years, and for the past decade has worked with state and national education agencies supporting educators and students in a variety of ways. He has been a consultant with Battelle for Kids in Hong Kong, Learning Forward, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), and the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) Center.