What is the passage mainly about? [originaltext] According to the U. S. Depar

According to the U. S. Department of Education, the best time to introduce children to college planning is when they are in the sixth, seventh, or eighth grade, depending on the maturity of the children. (14) You may want to initiate discussions about college and explain the importance of developing good study habits and getting involved in extracurricular activities—to implant the idea that your family supports higher education.
    You may also want to encourage your children to begin thinking about the career they would like to pursue, which is likely to influence their choice of college, as well as to establish a savings account that could be earmarked for education expenses. (14)In addition, you can teach basic lessons about compounding, investing, and other money management issues. (16)The Department of Education’s "Think College Early" program, which can be accessed at www, ed. gov/think college or by calling 1 ~ 800 -USA-LEARN, provides additional suggestions.
    When students are in the latter part of middle school, they can also start planning to make the most of high school experiences with an eye towards college.
    Remind your budding scholar that (17) success in high school depends on skills and attitudes that are developed in middle school or earlier. For example, time management skills developed in the middle school may eventually help a high school student manage schoolwork, a job, sports, and other interests. And when the time comes to pick classes for the first year of high school, a good mix of college prep courses may be important.