A comprehensive guide for parents sending their students to 8th grade for the first time.
Written by experts, 8th Grade Ready prepares parents for the unique year ahead.
Get prepared for a special year.
Your child has finally gotten to the top of middle school, congratulations! Before you start worrying about high school, find out how you can best support your student during this last year of middle school.
8th Grade Ready includes:
How 8th grade differs from 7th and moving through preparing for 9th grade.
Expert advice on a wide range of topics, from academic expectations to emotional and social development.
Practical suggestions and relatable anecdotes.
Conversation starters for you and your middle schooler to open new lines of communication that can continue throughout the school year.
Effective strategies to balance guidance and support with encouraging self-reliance, helping parents strike the right balance.
8th Grade Ready is edited by Timothy M. Dove, who was the 2011 and 2012 Ohio State Teacher of the Year, where he was a 7th and 8th grade teacher. He has also been an adjunct professor at The Ohio State University. Since retirement from K-12, Tim has been a consultant with Battelle for Kids in Hong Kong, Learning Forward, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), and the Collaboration for Effective Education, Development, Accountability and Reform (CEEDAR) Center.
Contributors have all been Teachers of the Year or finalists in their state or are nationally recognized educators:
Stephen McDonald, Middle School Counselor, New Hampshire
Jennifer E. Lawson, 2011 Vermont Teacher of the Year
Dorina Sackman, 2014 Florida Teacher of the Year and National Teacher of the Year Finalist
Carol Aten Frow, 2014 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year Finalist
Sally Hundley, 2005 North Carolina Teacher of the Year Finalist
Dina Howell, 2016 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year Finalist
Stacey Donaldson, PhD, NBCT, 2010 Mississippi Teacher of the Year
LéAnn Murphy Cassidy, EdS, 2018 Connecticut History Teacher of the Year
Jada Reeves, 2019 West Virginia Teacher of the Year
Barbara J. Hopkins, PhD, 1988 Nebraska Teacher of the Year
Spencer Kiper, 2019 Louisiana Teacher of the Year
Sara McCarthy Casassa, 2022 New Hampshire Teacher of the Year
Jane McMahon, 2014 Wisconsin Teacher of the Year
Joy McKarns, 2021 Ohio District Teacher of the Year and State Finalist
“This book exemplifies the subject matter expertise, get-things-done attitude, and leadership of State Teachers of the Year and Finalists to provide action-oriented guidance on the comprehensive supports all students need to succeed.”
Scott Meltzer
President and CEO, National Network of State Teachers of the Year
“It is said that 8th grade is a year of refinement, transition, anxiety, independence, and social media influence. This advice and counsel will assure your 8th grader success in school and life.”
John I. Wilson
Former middle school teacher and retired Executive Director of National Education Association
“8th Grade Ready is an invaluable resource for families to understand not only the social, emotional, and physiological changes students will face, but also how students can find their people and place through a variety of extracurricular options and how to anticipate and prepare for high school course selection.”
Jessica Saum
2022 Arkansas Teacher of the Year