The middle school years represent an important developmental phase. Guiding your gifted pre-teen to the right stretch opportunities now equips them with confidence and competencies for continued success. In this post, our expert Rise strategist, Will Kirsop (Executive Education, U.C. Berkeley), shares several strategies you can use to get your talented pre-teen academically engaged and boost their skills and confidence.
There are several ways in which you can engage your child in higher academic skills.
Advanced Programs
A key way academically talented students sharpen their skills is through Advanced programs. A world leader is the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY), which delivers leading-edge academic programs for youth in grades 2-12 worldwide. CTY encompasses a competitive application process where students must demonstrate that they are in the 98th percentile or two grade levels above their current grade level in specific subject areas.
Competitions
Building upon advanced academic programs, students can greatly benefit from participating in academic competitions. Whether it be AMC for Math, the prestigious John Locke Essay competition for English, or various Olympiads ranging from computer science or neuroscience, your son or daughter will benefit from a competitive engagement to boost existing academic performance and build confidence.
ECLs
A key way for students to build confidence is through extracurricular activities. Students often join clubs such as Robotics, Science Fair, Debating, or Model United Nations. These activities are academically inclined and will help your son or daughter sharpen their analytical and critical thinking skills and develop their academic repertoire. An additional benefit is that this will encourage the development of teamwork, and interpersonal and communications skills. Further, you can encourage your child to take part in other activities, ranging from art, music, theater, and sport.
Executive function development: time management, organization, and planning
A key area that all pre-teens and teens can develop, which will boost their academics is in developing their executive functioning. Supporting your son or daughter in developing a system to manage their time - whether using a to-do list, outlining tasks on a whiteboard, or a digital calendar - will help develop their soft skills and enhance their efficiency. Talented students may not be truly challenged in an academic setting until middle, or high school, and can no longer rest on their laurels. Therefore, developing these skills at an early age prepares your child for academic challenges to come. Encouraging your child to undertake courses such as the free Learning How to Learn Coursera can help develop these executive functioning skills.
A self-led project
Finally, encouraging your child to develop their first project will sharpen their academic toolkit. Whether it be an educational website, YouTube channel exploring a topic of interest, the provision of tutoring to younger students, or a creative folio, this will stretch your child to develop project management skills, build their technical skills in a given domain, and even be their first foray into networking.
Ultimately, there are several avenues to support your child in boosting their academic performance and confidence!
With the right mix of supplemental programs, competitions, clubs, executive function training, and hands-on projects, you can keep your academically-inclined 12 year old sharp and engaged. At Crimson Rise, our mentorship program for 11-14 year olds provides customized outcomes tailored specifically for each child. We've helped many bright students build critical foundations for success in their academics and beyond. Book a free consultation with one of our academic advisors to discuss how we can create a customized educational path for your child.
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