For many children and preteens, middle school is a tough step. By the seventh grade, children have settled into the new routine of changing classrooms and dealing with adolescent angst. This comfort with routine and independence allows children to concentrate more on the academic demands of their new grade.

Take a look at what your child should be learning in seventh grade if you want to be sure they are on track for success this school year.

Reading and Composing

Language arts is one obvious area that sticks out from prior years of study. Longer passages will be provided to students, requiring more than just basic reading comprehension. Educators will need students to draw inferences about the meaning of the text and to use outside sources to reach their conclusions.

This is an excellent opportunity for students to distinguish between different types of texts, such as poetry, theater, and film. They may be exposed to fresh perspectives, assess word choice, and explain how pieces work together to form a tale.

During the seventh grade year, writing is also extensively emphasized. Children are asked to provide evidence to back up their claims. Many educators will begin introducing a peer review system, which will allow students to experiment with different writing styles and receive feedback. According to Scholastic, essential writing skills should include:

• Capability to write an opinion piece, informative essay, or narrative using age-appropriate conventional language
• Citation of sources
• Using quotations as evidence
• Performing research to reach a conclusion and provide a solution to a specific question

Science

The content of a given science curriculum can vary greatly, but the concepts remain largely consistent. Children are supposed to master the fundamentals of conducting an experiment, developing a hypothesis, and applying the scientific method as a whole. In the end, they will often produce a lab report that reinforces the language arts skills taught.

Science will address a variety of topics. Some curriculum experts, however, point out that many schools will include biological themes such as the human body or nature.

Math

Seventh-grade math lessons lay the groundwork for your child’s future high school courses. Some institutions may focus solely on algebra principles, but the majority offer a well-rounded mix of algebraic and geometric studies. Some of these concepts are covered as part of the seventh-grade math curriculum at Khan Academy:

• Negative numbers
• Decimals, fractions, and percentages
• Proportions and ratios
• Algebraic equations
• Volume and area are two examples of geometric shapes and measures.
• Probability and statistics

The Social Sciences

The fundamental purpose of social studies is to teach seventh-graders how to take proper notes and study for tests. This fundamental subject is frequently used to reinforce language arts concepts and to help students apply those skills in other areas. Many institutions, on the other hand, will choose to provide students with a crash course in American history.

The seventh grade is jam-packed with material that will shape the rest of your child’s high school career. It contains important concepts that teach them academic independence, as well as the core topics for language arts and arithmetic. If your kid is having difficulty meeting these benchmarks by the end of the year, it may be time to consider whether tutoring is necessary to aid them before eighth grade.