You know what — get over it. Your smart child now has the option to shine in a regular leveled class. Maybe he will get the opportunity to tutor others who may need help. What an esteem building activity! Because he won’t be bogged down by huge amounts of homework, he can join clubs, be with friends, or take classes outside of school that he is interested in. A lot of kids who are pushed by their parents at this early age to be in honors classes become inept at being appropriately social with their peers. Many of the kids in our “Challenge” classes are snotty to others and actually have IEP’s because they have behavior problems. Because they stay with the same group of people in their honor’s classes they are unable to even relate to the general population. He has a lot of time before HS to prove himself. Why don’t you enhance his life by taking him to museums, have him volunteer at the library or a hospital. As I said before, if he is really smart he will shine in the regular classroom setting, and isn’t that a wonderful thing for a child; or he could just be the general Joe in his honors classes where there may be 20 other students smarter than he is. Think about it.

If your child has done well academically, give him time to show what he can do at the middle school level, then ask that he be permitted to take more challenging classes next term. As far as college goes, they do not consider middle school grades at all. The only advantage possible would be to take algebra in 8th grade allowing for a higher level math later on in high school. Other than that, the social challenges of being in a class with a few students who would rather not be there is a good thing! Your child will learn resilliance and empathy. He may also learn leadership and mentoring. (All important in the world today.) Private schools can also be a benefit for a child, if it is the right match. (Student and School) I teach in a non-profit private school, and honestly our kids stay emotionally younger for a longer period. There are fewer squabbles, but we are holistic in nature, leading to high student and parent involvement. Our local “prep” school competition charges about $20,000 per year and the student’s are “successful” but not as well rounded. You have to define what you really want for your child, then make it happen!

My thought, as a teacher, is that middle school is not really important when it comes to getting into college – at least from the standpoint that colleges will not be looking at those grades. You don’t mention if your child is a poor student, or just not advanced enough for honors courses. In middle school he has two or three years to improve his skills to get into honors classes in high school. Concentrate on helping him master grammar, writing, pre-algebra, and maybe an introductory language course, and he should be in good shape for high school, when it really counts. Also, encourage him to pursue extracurricular interests like community service, sports, art, or something that interests him and he is passionate about. Colleges care about that too.

His attitude about school might influence his classmates for the better, and the more positive you can be, the better he will feel. If you are acting like it’s the end of the world because he’s not in honors in middle school, he may already feel he’s failed and give up. But if you encourage him to use these next few years to build toward the goal of honors classes in high school, that will help him tremendously. Ask his teachers what steps he needs to reach to get into honors classes next year, and create reachable goals to get there incrementally. Too much pressure will discourage him, but encouragement and gentle pushes, with your help, can get him one step closer to his goals.

He’s in middle school. If he’s only in 5th or 6th grade, don’t stress about it yet.

Parents and the school just make kids stress out too much about college lately. And trust me, it’s no fun to be stressed out about college at that age (the only reason I am is because I’m a senior in high school…I have to apply to college now). He’s still got a few years.

why was he not accepted? have assured yourself thru testing that your child is capable of advanced classes? would a teacher be in the best position to evaluate your child’s abilities objectively?

would you want your child struggling in honors classes or excelling in NORMAL classes…what is better for your child exceeding your expectations or never achieving them?