Benjamin Franklin said, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." If you get help promptly, you may not need the cure at all.
Minor changes to habits or procedures go a long way—especially for a child struggling or failing in school.
Since the pandemic, many parents are getting to see their child's education first hand for the first time.
With that, they can also witness their child struggling, and although upsetting, it's also a good lesson for the parents. If it's so upsetting to watch your child struggle, imagine what it's like for them!
Whether it's watching your child struggle or a progress note from a teacher, your child's grades are not an indictment of you or your child.
Unfortunately, it can feel like an attack when your child struggles academically, and attacks are often brushed aside as self-protection. It’s imperative to keep in mind that kids struggle for several reasons.
Some struggle because they misunderstand vital concepts in the subject, while others lack the organizational and time management skills needed to complete assignments.
Still, others may have difficulties focusing on instruction and retaining information. Whatever the reason, the problem rarely goes away on its own.
The quicker you diagnose the problem and provide a solution, the sooner your child will succeed academically.
In this article, you'll learn the most common reasons why children struggle academically and how you can take immediate steps to set your child on the right track.
Lack of Confidence
Low self-esteem in students is often a self-fulfilling prophecy. They believe they won't do well, so they don't apply themselves and thus perform poorly.
Many students believe the ability to achieve good grades is something you're born with and isn't tied to effort.
However, studies show nothing could be further from the truth—the number one skill that determines academic success is effort. Without it, even the most intelligent child eventually finds their grades slipping.
A tutor helps foster self-confidence. They work with children who regularly have challenges, and they're trained to know what tailored guidance they need to excel.
The sooner your child receives help, organizational or academic, the sooner they'll begin to get better grades. And although we often say grades don't matter, they impact how your child feels about their capabilities.
When a child achieves good grades, they feel successful, and they're more likely to take risks, work harder, and be successful!
Falling Behind in a Subject
In school, lessons build on each other. Understanding one concept requires that you understand the idea that came before it.
These building blocks are especially essential in math and are why many students struggle in that area. When a student doesn't master a concept, they go on to the next idea with a lack of skills, or worse, a misunderstanding of the knowledge they do possess.
Therefore, it's necessary to diagnose the missing skills and teach them to the student before proceeding to the next concept.
As we all know, however, this is not how schools work. Kids are passed onto the next grade not by the skills they master but by their age.
In some ways, this is good. It would be emotionally scarring for a student to be held back without their peers. However, this still doesn't alleviate the problem that the skill is missing.
However, early intervention explains the skill to the student or helps them unlearn the mistake they believe, and they progress through their classes. But for that to happen, the missing skill must be taught as soon as possible.
Behavioral Issues
Most students don't have the emotional maturity to handle boredom. They tune out, get bored, and look for things to occupy their time when they don't understand a subject.
These activities don't have to be extreme, but bored students are more likely to talk to their neighbors or doodle on their desks, all of which will get them in trouble.
And, fair or not, teachers talk. As long as that student is in that school, their behavior problems will be passed down from teacher to teacher.
These issues can all be avoided with early intervention. As soon as a student's grades start to slip, if a tutor is brought in to address the problem, the student understands why they're struggling.
Once they're caught up, they become more engaged in the class because they can understand the material and are less likely to be disruptive. And a good reputation follows students, too.
Stress and Unhappiness
It's stressful to struggle. It's stressful not to understand what you are learning. Even though young people manifest their anxiety differently than adults, that doesn't mean they don't feel it.
They aren't emotionally mature enough to come to you and admit that they're struggling in their classes. Their first instinct may be to try to hide it and say that everything is fine.
Look at your children's grades, read the reports the teachers send and connect them with help right away. It will mean a happier, more successful child and a better dynamic at home.
Quick Intervention is Key to Your Child’s Success
Don't wait until your child fails a class—intervene early and diagnose the problem. With time, all of those lessons built on the ones your child didn't understand will be misunderstood, too.
The problem doesn't correct itself—it just gets worse and worse. Soon, you have an unhappy child struggling academically, one that doesn't think they can succeed and is acting out in class.
All that can be avoided by getting a tutor involved as soon as you notice a problem.
If you’re worried about your child failing school and you want to take preventative measures, an online tutor is a great solution.
Connect with a highly qualified, thoroughly vetted expert tutor on Anand Tutorials who will develop personalized instruction to help your child understand their coursework and improve their grades.
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