Poor School Performance: How Parents Can Help

It doesnt matter how hard I study, I just cant seem to get the hang of
geometry. I guess I must be dumb or somethin.
At least one in five students will have trouble keeping up academically at
some point during junior high and high school. School slumps require our
immediate attention, before the damage to self-esteem is irreparable or a
youngster develops an aversion to attending school.
While the root of the problem may be school related and nothing more, a
drop in grades can be a warning sign of one of the underlying causes
below:
Physical ailments: undiagnosed sleep disorders, anemia, infectious
mononucleosis, thyroid conditions, impaired vision or hearing, others
Emotional disorders: depression, anxiety, eating disorders, others
Learning disabilities/developmental disabilities: dyslexia, central
auditory-processing disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD), others
Substance abuse: a drastic decline in grades may be a tipoff that a child
is experimenting with alcohol or illicit drugs
What You Can Do
Talk to your teenager. After all, shes the ultimate authority on whats
behind her academic difficulties. But this should be a conversation, not a
confrontation. Let her know that youre on her side and want to help her
get back on track:
Honey, this is the fourth test in a row thats come back with a C or
a D. Youre usually a B-plus student. Is there anything going on in school
or other areas of your life that youd like to tell us about? Were
concerned and we want to help.
Arrange a meeting with the teacher(s). Even the most involved
parent doesnt truly know what goes on in school. Adolescents sometimes
reveal sides of themselves at school that they keep under wraps at home
or vice versa. So a teachers observations can provide invaluable clues
to the cause of a childs academic troubles.
In the days leading up to a parent-teacher conference, write down
questions addressing the areas that most concern you. You may not be
pleased to hear everything the teacher has to say once you get to the
conference. But try to keep in mind that with rare exceptions, less-thanglowing feedback is not a personal attack on your youngsters character
or your competence as a parent. If your sons home economics teacher
says that he disrupts her class with his wisecracks, accept that what she
says contains at least a shred of truth.

Ask her to be more specific and listen politely to what she has to say. For
instance: Could you please give me an example of what you mean? How
frequently does he act up in class? Then work together to come up with a
solution. Perhaps you decide to warn your son that any future incidents of
misconduct will result in the loss of a privilege, such as one weeks
allowance or use of the family car.
And, you can add, weve asked Mrs. Jackson to call us immediately if
you should ever disrupt her class again.
Memo to Mom and Dad: After a conference, always dash off a thank-you
note to the teacher.
Consider hiring an after-school tutor. One-on-one sessions with a
private tutor can work wonders with students who just weeks ago seemed
unable to grasp the subject matter. Learning in a pressure-free
environment probably has as much to do with that success as does the
one-on-one instruction. Another advantage of letting a tutor work with
your child, says Dr. Coleman, is that it gets parents off their kids backs.
Private tutors, listed in the Yellow Pages under Tutoring, generally
charge between twenty dollars and forty dollars an hour. If thats beyond
your budget, you may be able to locate help through your teens school.
A lot of high schools, says Dr. Coleman, have study-buddies programs
where teachers assign a peer-aged student or an older student to tutor a
child at home or at school. The cost is nominalfour or five dollars an
houror sometimes free. Local colleges and organizations such as the
YMCA may also offer tutoring.
Tutors can also help bridge the gap of time that teens are out of school
because of a brief illness, extended family trip, and so on. Instead of
falling behind during these short but crucial periods, tutors can make sure
students stay caught up and on track until they return to the classroom.
Chronic complaints of feeling either bored or overwhelmed at
school may be an indication that a youngster is trudging along on the
wrong academic track. The student who yawns at schoolwork that leaves
most of his classmates scratching their heads is more likely to thrive if his
day includes some more challenging courses, while the
perennial D student who has never shown much interest in school may be
best served by a vocationally oriented program.
In the past, boys and girls belonging to the latter group might have been
written off as lost causes destined to drop out. Since the 1970s or so, the
educational system has made a greater effort to reach out to these
youngsters. Some schools have implemented policies specifically
designed for high-school freshmen with histories of academic failure,
truancy and misconduct. As we noted earlier, ninth grade is a critical fork
in the road for such students, who are considered high risks for quitting
before the end of the year. According to the U.S. Department of Education,
strategies like those below have been successful at helping them achieve
school success:

Allow students to delay some required courses that may prove too
difficult and discourage them to the point of dropping out. In their
place they may take more courses that interest them.
Assemble these students into small groups, who then go from class
to class together, offering one another support.
Establish alternative schools and mini schools for alienated
students, either within the school building or off-campus. Youngsters
who function poorly in a conventional school environment may find
the less-structured, less demanding environment to their liking and
be able to graduate.

If you believe that school could be made more enjoyable and fulfilling for
your teen, arrange to meet with the guidance counselor or principal. Find
out what accommodations could possibly be made in your childs
educational plan so that it better meets his or her needs.