Moving from primary to secondary school
Shifting from primary school to secondary school is like moving from one culture into another.
The culture of secondary school offers lots of new experiences and opportunities for your child. It can also feel unfamiliar and daunting at first.
It can feel strange to suddenly be moving between classrooms and to be learning from different teachers. It can also take time to get used to all the new students they meet in secondary school.
A successful transition from primary to secondary school requires your adolescent to develop a range of key skills:
- Planning and organisation: they will need to learn to adjust to new expectations. They will also have to juggle a range of new responsibilities. Knowing how to plan and be organised will help them to meet the requirements of secondary school. For example: figuring out how to be in the right classroom on time and with the correct materials.
- Concentration: it can be difficult for them to concentrate. This is especially true in a busy classroom environment. Practising the skill of concentration can help your adolescent to improve their focus. This could help them with classroom activities and instructions. It will also assist in improving their memory. Memory is essential for recalling due dates and consolidating their knowledge of the curriculum.
- Impulse control: as they get older, they will face situations where they’ll need to make a choice about what action to pursue. Often, they can be drawn to easier tasks rather than more complex or difficult ones. Helping your adolescent to improve their impulse control will better equip them to prioritise tasks. They will gain the confidence to tackle more challenging activities even if they may not succeed right away.
- Resilience: it is common for human beings to move between feelings of anxiousness and avoidance. This is especially true when they are faced with uncertainty or stress. You can support your adolescent to become aware of these feelings and develop strategies to return to a stable resilient mindset. This will enable them to become more confident. They may feel better able to overcome the challenges that they face during their transition from primary to secondary school.
- Identifying learning strengths: if you can help your adolescent to be more aware of their strengths, they will be better at problem solving and self-reflection. These are critical skills for the transition to secondary school.
Your adolescent is growing up. There are vast changes occurring in your adolescent’s life. They are attempting to work out who they are and they are forming their identity. They are becoming more independent and focused on getting along with peers. At the same time, there are also major changes going on in their brain.
What’s really going on in your adolescent’s head
During these transition years the structures and wiring of your adolescent’s brain are upgraded. This enables more advanced thinking. This is a process known as neuroplasticity.
During childhood, their brain creates more connections than it needs.
These are then reduced and refined during the transition years. It is like a tree being pruned to make it more fruitful.
This re-shaping of the brain leaves your adolescent with a sharper, smarter mind. It is more attuned to the demands of the world we live in.
Confidence rules
The frontal parts of your adolescent’s brain are being upgraded as they move from childhood to adolescence. However, emotional processing parts (called the limbic system) are more easily activated.
This is why adolescents and teenagers feel embarrassment, stress and humiliation so acutely. This can lead to a loss of confidence. It also explains why parenting kids during the transition years can be erratic and dramatic (and to be honest, a bit exhausting at times).
Myelination
Your adolescent's brain is becoming more interconnected. It is able to think faster. As they are transitioning to secondary school, they are getting smarter.
A main contributor to this fast-tracked thinking is myelin sheathing. It wraps itself around some of the main connections in our brains and speeds up thinking. It is a bit like the covering or coating around an electrical wire.
Laying down this sheathing is known as myelination. So, you might think, 'Interesting, well sort of, but how does this relate to my child?' Ok, here’s where it gets interesting.
The new pattern of brain wiring that occurs with myelination is different for all of us. This means that your adolescent is unique. No one has had the exact same mix of experiences, thoughts, and upbringing as they have. No one thinks or sees the world precisely the way that they do.
Adolescents are smart, but they are not mini adults
The fresh new connections in your adolescent’s brain provide new possibilities for their life. As the connections are developing, they are fragile. They can become seriously unstuck if your adolescent is experiencing too much stress and/or is not getting enough sleep.
Early adolescents are emotionally sensitive. This is compounded by the challenges posed by transition. It means that their thinking and focus can be thrown off course. Things like what someone said or even what someone’s look suggested that they might have been thinking about them can be very unsettling.
Once adolescents are rattled, they often have no idea how to de-stress and calm down.
Supporting your adolescent
It can be daunting to know how to provide support through the dual transitions to secondary school and to adolescence. But it is better to start somewhere than to not start at all.
Appreciate that your adolescent is going through a challenging and dynamic time of life and development. Consider what skills or interests your adolescent has that you would like to see them develop further. Or you could ask your adolescent what they might like to focus on and start with an area that they enjoy.
Where possible, link different areas of interest and strengths. This will yield better results and set your adolescent up for greater feelings of success.
The transition years are a time of enormous change and growth for your child. Look at this period as an opportunity to better understand and support your adolescent. You'll be helping them to achieve their greatest potential. By accompanying and encouraging your child, you can set them up for a successful transition experience and for long-term success.
Updated