Middle School Goal Setting Guide with Teaching Guides & Curriculum Suggestions

The Middle School Goal Setting Guide

A Clear Roadmap for Teaching, Prioritizing, and Preparing Dyslexic Learners for High School

Introduction: What This Guide Is Really For

Middle school is often the point where homeschooling parents of kids with dyslexia begin to feel unsure, anxious, or overwhelmed.

Elementary years may have felt manageable and flexible, but now questions start to creep in:

• Are we doing enough?

• What actually matters right now?

• How do I prepare my child for high school without pushing them too hard—or burning them out?

• What skills are essential, and what can wait?

This guide was created to answer those questions with clarity, perspective, and confidence.

This is not a traditional goal-setting guide built around grade levels or checklists. Instead, it is a decision-making framework designed to help parents of dyslexic middle schoolers set appropriate, meaningful, long-term goals—while teaching their children in ways that work for how they learn.

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The Purpose of This Guide

Middle school is a time of major cognitive, emotional, and developmental change. For kids with dyslexia (and often ADHD), this period can look very different than it does for neurotypical learners.

Some children may still need significant remediation.
Others may suddenly make large leaps in reading or writing.
Many are developing executive function skills that are still immature—and will be for several more years.

This guide helps parents:

• Understand what progress should realistically look like

• Focus on skills that lead to independence

• Balance remediation with exposure and accommodations

• Prepare for high school without forcing premature expectations

• Teach with confidence instead of constant self-doubt

The goals outlined here are not short-term targets. They are long-term milestones meant to be workedO gradually through consistent instruction, supportive tools, and an individualized pace.

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What This Guide Helps You Do

This guide gives you clarity around:

• What to prioritize during the middle school years

• What skills matter most for long-term success

• Where to continue remediation—and where to accommodate

• How to build independence gradually, rather than demanding it too soon

• How to evaluate readiness without relying on grade-level standards

Rather than asking “Is my child on grade level?”
this guide helps you ask:

“Is my child developing the skills they need for the next stage of learning?”

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What You’ll Find Inside

This guide outlines three major areas of development:

1. Academic Skills

Including reading, spelling, grammar, writing, math, history, and science—each framed through:

• Informal assessments

• Teaching priorities

• Dyslexia-informed strategies

• Curriculum recommendations

The emphasis is on progress, not pressure.

2. General Learning & Executive Function Skills

Such as:

• Time management and organization

• Working memory and follow-through

• Emotional regulation

• Understanding personal learning strengths and weaknesses

• Using strategies and tools intentionally

These skills are foundational for independence and often matter more than academic content alone.

3. Skills for Possible Classroom Settings

Including:

• Note-taking

• Learning from textbooks

• Test-taking strategies

These are taught as options, not requirements—so your child is prepared without being forced into a one-size-fits-all path.

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How to Use This Guide

This is a lot of information—and it is not meant to be used all at once.

Use what you need right now.
Save the rest for later.

Return to this guide whenever:

• You feel unsure about what to focus on

• You worry about being “behind”

• You need reassurance that your child is on a solid path

The middle school years are about remediation, exposure, and the gradual development of independent learning, often supported by assistive technology and accommodations.

There is no single timeline.
There is only the right path for your child.

This guide is here to help you find it.