Exams are just about done and the long summer break stretches out before us with just one last hurdle to overcome; report cards. For some, bad grades can put pressure on students and parents alike. Every child can learn, but some need to learn differently than others and you may need to change course if the traditional classroom setup is not helping your child to achieve their goals.
What’s the Problem?
Speak with your child and their teachers to find out what went wrong. Of course every student experiences a bad grade from time to time but you really want to nip possible problems in the bud as academic issues are accumulative. Next year will build on this year’s academic foundation and teachers don’t have time to go back and fill gaps in your child’s knowledge.
Get an in-home and online tutor to take a few hours each week over the summer break to revise the last academic year, to find the missing building blocks and fill in any gaps in your child’s knowledge.
Executive Skills
Each student has a learning style which makes it easy to assimilate information and come to grips with concepts. While teachers do try to present information in a number of different ways, you need to teach your child how to convert the information they receive into a format that helps them understand. Perhaps they can create mind maps (visual learners) or read texts out loud (aural learners) or maybe they need to build a model (tactile learners) before they can understand and retain the knowledge they receive in class.
Some students need to learn organizational and study skills. While most teachers do impart these skills in the lower grades, if your child doesn’t know how to organize their time, how to study effectively, how to write a good essay or how to summarize texts, their marks will not be a true reflection of their abilities.
Language Barriers
Reading and writing abilities are essential in determining a child’s grade. Many students are smart and know the answers to test questions, but their writing and reading comprehension skills just aren’t up to standard.
Here, they may be missing out on vital marks because their simply aren’t expressing themselves effectively and communicating their knowledge. Brushing up on reading over the holidays can really help to boost their grades next semester.
Get a Tutor
Just a couple of hours a week over the summer with a one-to-one tutor can not only help to fill in the missing building blocks in your child’s knowledge, it can actually move them ahead of the class.
Summer vacations are the perfect opportunity to acquire executive skills that will mean they are far more effective independent learners in the new academic year. Bad grades need not ruin your summer, but they are an important warning sign that some extra learning is all your child needs to catch up and get ahead.
