Your middle school and high school students are becoming more self-reliant. But as a parent or teacher, we know they aren’t there just yet. We want to support them and help them grow in this transition phase of life, but often we’re not quite sure where to begin.
Thankfully, there are many resources out there to help them grow in essential life skills. These skills will not only help them to improve their grades, but provide them with strategies to serve them through life. Today, we’ll take a look at a few book resources that can empower your students in their academic and personal success!
Goals & Habits
School Made Easier: A Kid’s Guide to Study Strategies and Anxiety–Busting Tools, by Wendy L. Moss and Robin A. DeLuca-Acconi, is a well-rounded resource for younger students. It covers many areas that will help set up your middle-schooler for academic success including organization, study tips, and executive functioning skills. It also discusses academic stress and overall well-being (proper rest, diet, etc.) in an age appropriate way. Question and answer areas are included throughout the book. This book is geared for students age 8–13 but would also be helpful to an older student who is a hesitant reader.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, by Sean Covey, instructs students in the areas of positive thinking and actions. Chapters cover topics such as habits, goals, relationships, and positive thinking. Graphics and inspirational quotes are included throughout the book. Each chapter includes a question and answer section to help the reader put what they learned into practice. A 64-page workbook can be purchased separately for students that would like to dig deeper. This book is geared for students age 12–17 and is adapted from the best-selling book for adults, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey.
Study Skills
Learning How to Learn: How to Succeed in School Without Spending All Your Time Studying; A Guide for Kids and Teens, is written by Barbara Oakley and Terrence Sejnowski. This book unpacks the science behind how our brains learn, then moves into how we can support learning, and building our memory. To help engage students, graphics, worksheets, and questions are included throughout each chapter. Additional topics include music, video games and picking the best location for studying. There are many tips for encouraging the reader to put what they’ve learned into action and the authors even offer an e-course for additional support. This book is geared toward students ages 12–17.
College
College Admission Essentials: A Step-by-Step Guide to Showing Colleges Who You are and What Matters to You, by Ethan Sawyer, will help your student (and you!) through the college preparation and application process. At 400+ pages, this book is packed with information! This book delves into all you need to do during your high school career to prepare for college, as well as working through the admissions process, essay writing, and financial aid. Questions are included throughout the book as well as real-life examples and links to the author’s “Treasure Trove” of additional resources. This book is geared toward students in 9th grade and up.
Money Matters
The Teen Money Manual: A Guide to Cash, Credit, Spending, Saving, Work, Wealth, and More, by Kara McGuire, introduces students to well….all the topics in the title!! Graphics on each page help to keep the reader engaged with financial topics that can seem daunting to many. The author starts out with writing a resume, getting a job, and even negotiation your salary. Next up is what to do with that paycheck. Banking, investing, saving and donating are all introduced in a teen friendly way. Loans and insurance round out this wonderful introduction to the world of money. This book is for students ages 13–17.
Be sure to check out your local library, or apps like Libby or Hoopla, for more great resources! Some search terms that may be helpful are: Essay Writing, Executive Functioning, Growth Mindset, Habits, High School, Life Skills, or Study Skills.
We’d love to hear what resources your students have found helpful. Let us know in the comment section below or on-line!
Keep going, keep growing!
Andrea