There are three sure signs that it is springtime. The days are getting longer; the weather is turning warmer; and for school kids across the Lone Star State, report cards are being sent home. If report cards mean storm clouds at your home, what should you do?
According to Dr. Raymond Huntington, founder and President of Huntington Learning Centers, “Parents know their own children. If you believe your child could be doing better than his or her grades show, you owe it to your child to remedy the situation. “More than current grades are at stake,” Huntington continues, “If grades are mediocre or poor, it means your child is not gaining valuable skills. This can come back to haunt children later. The skills children learn in school are like building blocks. If a skill is not learned adequately, future skills will suffer. When a child tries to build advanced skills on a shaky foundation of knowledge, there is likely to be trouble ahead.”
Mediocre or poor grades can result from a variety of problems. Dr. Huntington offers the following suggestions for what to do when a child brings home a poor report card:
1. Examine the situation realistically. It is important to remember that every drop in grades indicates that valuable skills are being missed. An effort should be made to learn and reinforce those missing skills. While this is being done, it is also important to identify and remedy the basic problem, so it does not continue to hurt your child’s education.
2. What is really the problem? Is there a behavior problem? Sometimes, bright students get bad grades for behavior related activities. Does your child hand in homework? Is it correct and on time? Is your child bored with schoolwork, and so is not paying enough attention? These are not excuses; they are symptoms of different problems. You must identify the problem before you can remedy it.
3. Talk with your child. Why does your child think he or she got poor grades? Let your child know that you are supportive and that you believe in his or her abilities.
4. Talk with your child’s teacher or counselor. Your child’s teacher or counselor is a professional educator. What are his or her observations? What does he or she recommend?
It is important to remember that the difficulty that caused these poor grades may be a serious problem. Your child may have missed one or more important basic skills. It is vital that you get help for your child as soon as possible, before the problem gets worse.
The Huntington Learning Center is a nationally recognized leader in the field of improving a child’s basic study skills through remediation and enrichment programs. Students are given individual attention by certified teachers using personalized programs tailored to improve skills in a child’s trouble areas. Huntington offers individual testing and tutoring in reading, math, study skills, writing and SAT/ACT preparation to students of all ages.
Parents who want additional information, or who wish to discuss a specific problem, are encouraged to call the Huntington Learning Center, located at 21945 D Katy Freeway in Katy, at 281-392-5833.
