In short, while there are many different online courses a middle schooler could enrol on, the top 5 online course categories a student should focus on are: Strengthening core academic subjects, exploring high-school Subjects early, developing future-ready digital skills, developing another foreign language skill, and enrolling in the Crimson Rise Program. With these preparations, middle-schoolers should be more confident and equipped with the relevant competencies entering high school and university.
Strengthening Core Academic Subjects
Before exploring other subjects that have not yet been offered to a middle-schooler, it is critical to ensure that core subjects, particularly Maths, English and Sciences, are firmly grasped, as they lay a strong foundation for all future learning. From personal experience, among the many free online course websites available, Khan Academy is the best option for preparing for academic subjects. One of its main standpoints is its understanding or mastery-based learning and teaching style, in which you need to demonstrate that you have 100% understood the module's content before moving on to the next one, meaning that a student cannot merely 'pass', which minimises the knowledge gap they might face in a unit. Moreover, since Khan Academy offers core academic courses from primary school all the way to university-level courses, it serves as a one-stop, providing an excellent pathway for middle-schoolers to strengthen their foundations and seamlessly transition into high school, as they can prepare for the upcoming academic years' content beforehand and learn at their own pace.
Nonetheless, for students who wish to apply to US universities, preparing for the SAT from middle school is highly recommended, as it not only creates more opportunities to obtain a higher score but also reduces stress and panic, as you can spread the study load over the years and not cram it within months alongside your school’s academic curriculum. Additionally, SAT content can serve as active revision for your high school core subjects and give you a sense of the level of content you can expect as you progress to higher grades. For those who are interested in Khan Academy’s SAT preparation courses and for those who would like to practice through doing practice tests, you could access the College Board’s Practice and Preparation section or CrackSAT.net for a massive repository of practice questions.
Exploring High-School Subjects Early
Once the core subjects are strengthened, gaining early exposure to high school subjects that have not yet been offered at middle school provides an opportunity to discover any curiosity or passion for a subject before formal enrolment. In many schools, when you select a high school subject, there is usually a 2-week buffer period during which a student can switch into another course; however, in that short span, it is often hard to gauge interest, and sometimes this can lead to regretful decisions. Therefore, subjects such as Psychology, Economics, Business Management, Computer Science, and Specialised Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) are areas that a student is recommended to begin exploring early, before a formal commitment is required. To navigate this initial exploration effectively, Coursera is the recommended online platform. Coursera hosts a wide array of courses at all levels, from beginner to advanced, taught by accredited professors from top universities worldwide, providing an accurate and comprehensive overview of the content expected in high school and at university. Not only that, as all courses are free to access, meaning that you can access all the lecture recordings and read required readings which is suitable for subject exploration, however, if a student would like a formal recognition (i.e. certification) as they might have enjoyed the course and would like to get recognised their effort, Coursera offers a 'paid' options whereby a student depending on the course would have to submit components such as graded assignments, quizzes, and capstone projects, which will graded with feedback. The certificate can be added to a student's academic portfolio to show their early interest in a particular field. For instance, if a student is interested in studying economics at university and has completed 5 Coursera-certified courses, which will strengthen their application profile.
Developing future-ready digital skills
Aside from high school subject exploration, as we live in a highly digitalised society, the ability to Code, Digitally Design, and Video Edit has become a fundamental literacy rather than a niche skill. Moreover, nowadays, to stand out amongst your peers, it requires going beyond being a user of technology and mastering a valuable digital craft, becoming either a builder, designer, or storyteller in the digital world to ensure future success and employability. However, trying to become an expert in all three fields is impossible; therefore, selecting one skill to develop is highly recommended. One may ask, how do I know which field I should go with? The question you should always ask yourself is: which of the three areas am I passionate about? For example, if you already enjoy coding, digital design, or editing short videos, stick to the area you are interested in. The reason being if you have curiosity and genuine interest in that area, it is easy to push through hurdles and frustrations where challenges becomes fun and thought provoking process; experiencing a 'flow state' where you lose track of time because you are entirely immersed in the learning which not only accelerates the absorption of information learnt and building the skill merely without you realising it. Nevertheless, if you do not have any passion for one of these fields yet, you can ask yourself, "What are my hobbies?" "Which skill will be the most future-proof?”
Once the student has identified their preferred digital skill, the ideal online platform to begin with is EdX over Coursera. Whilst both platforms offers courses that academically and professionally certified, Coursera courses can often teach a skill in the form of acquiring a new ‘hobby’ or a form of exploring interest with more simplified modules, EdX on the other hand, treat these courses as serious future academic and career prospects, ensuring you build a robust understanding of the specific skill from ground up, proving your capability in that specific digital skill.
Developing another foreign language skill
Similar to the previous point, the importance of digital literacy in our highly interconnected, globalised world, being multilingual has become a vital tool for future competitiveness and a valuable asset in the international job market. By beginning this journey in middle school, students gain a huge advantage in achieving fluency when they enter university or the workforce. Not only that, in many high schools, especially those with international curricula (e.g., IB, GCSE), there are foreign language requirements for graduation, which means a student can transition into high school curricula smoothly, reducing stress, and, more importantly, At the same time, people can learn languages at any age, starting from primary school and middle school will be the ‘prime time’ to speak like a native with intuitive grammar. MIT researchers have reiterated the ease of learning a language during the early school years, as we can absorb information faster and pick up new sounds and patterns more easily than adults. Besides, when a student decides to pursue their university education, for instance, in the US or the UK, this will equip and enable them to connect with people from different cultural backgrounds, breaking down barriers and fostering genuine communication.
Fortunately, thanks to innovation in the digital realm, becoming fluent in a language can be achieved through two free platforms: Duolingo and HelloTalk. Together, they create a powerful combination that bridges the gap between learning a language and actually applying and speaking it. Duolingo provides a structured learning approach through gamified lessons that build vocabulary and practise grammatical concepts. Whereas Hello Talk facilitates real-world language use, enabling you to connect with native speakers, immediately test and refine your understanding, and build communication confidence in a foreign language.
Enrolling in Crimson Rise Program
With all that being said, for the most effective, personalised developmental plan for a middle-school student, Crimson Rise offers a structured guidance and expert consultants who can recommend the right academic pathway that aligns with a students strengths, interests and their goals, ensuring that every hour spent online contributes to meaningful growth, making every learning opportunity count and no time and efforts are wasted.
One of the most remarkable components in Crimson Rise is how it turns the abundance of online learning options into a goal-oriented experience. Instead of wasting time scrolling through endless course selections, consultants evaluate each student’s current strengths, academic level , and future aspirations, then handpick online courses and platforms that aim to strengthen a student's academic foundation or explore interests, all to better prepare them for the future. Each chosen course, whether it is from Business Studies and Psychology to Computer Science or Creative Writing, is chosen to complement their school studies and develop real-world skills. Parents can rest assured that every decision our consultants make is part of a broader, long-term strategic plan to help students become confident, independent, and future-ready learners.
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