What can I do to help my child improve her grades next year???

Question

Tried tutoring already

Answer 1

There's about a million things to know before coming up with the ideal plan for any kid--and you're the only one who knows them all.

1.  Figure out if there's a root cause.  Even smart kids can have learning disabilities that make things more difficult for them suddenly.  Get her tested.

2.  Figure out if there's an emotional reason.  Is she acting up in another way, too?  Are her poor grades the result of a rebellious period?

3.  Figure out how you can actually spark her interest.  Try out some summer camps--it may be too late to sign up for most right now, but a late August camp isn't out of the question.  Try museum visits, park visits, historical sites--whatever might get her going.

4.  You've tried tutoring, but what kind of tutoring?  Did you hire the neighbor kid, or did you hire a professional?  I'm not saying anything against either right now--for some kids, a more local, homegrown kid is going to be what works; for others, a professional will work better.  

5.  Have you tried after school classes or summer classes?

6.  Have you tried getting her interested in extracurricular activities?  Most of these have minimum grade requirements, and if she really likes them, it might inspire her to get better grades.

7.  Have you tried punishments for bad grades, or rewards for good grades?  Have you tried pre-punishment?  Instead of punishing her after she takes a test, gets it back, and it's a D, try taking away her privileges--cell phone, computer, going out with friends--right before the NEXT test.  This means she's stuck at home when she needs to study, not in the somewhat dry period right after getting a bad grade.

8.  Have you tried setting homework times each day, or at least once a week?  Mandatory study time.  She can use it for her normal homework, and if it's already done, she can read books.  

9.  Have you tried using set homework times each day, where she has to show you that she's finished it to get out?  If she finishes in 10 minutes, she's done and can do whatever she wants.  If she doesn't finish for three hours, that's how long she has to spend.

10.  Have you tried contacting her teachers for advice?  They see her in a completely different environment than you do.  They may have some really great ideas as to what is going on, and what you could try.

11.  How old is she?  A 6 year old doing badly in 1st grade should be dealt with differently than a 17 year old doing poorly in 11th grade.  Also, what is "improvement"?  Are we talking failing grades, or did she get one B and now you're worried about her chances of getting into an Ivy League college?

Answer 2

Have you spoken to her teacher about her grades?  Our school has Support Teachers and volunteers that take children for a lesson a week to catch them up in subjects they are struggling in.  Does your school have something like that?  Or maybe she is reaching her ability and you are asking too much of her.  Not all kids are A students.  Actually most arn't.  In any case discuss it with her teacher or principal.

Answer 3

Well how old is she?

It all depends on what gets to her, take away her privelages.

Start good studying habits, EVERYDAY when she gets home the first thing she should do is sit down at the table with a snack and do homework. You HAVE to stick to it or it is pointless. Then when she is done go over the homework with her. She shoud not be able to do anything (NO friends, etc...) until her homework is done.

Also explain how important it is to do good in school *also depends on her age.

Answer 4

Take away the following (or at lease threaten to do.......)

*Curfew

*allowence

*iPod (I Hate when that one get s taken away)

*Nintendo DS

*Cell Phone

*TV

*Bed Time



If you actually feel that shes trying dont take away her privlidges

Answer 5

Make her study a little more and spend some extra time with the homework.

when I was in 7th grade I did so bad I almost got held back.

but then I changed my ways by taking more time with homework,studying some more for test and I read some more,and I asked the teachers questions until I understood it.and then my last semester of 7th grade I got all a's and 1 b

I did all that when  I went to 8th grade too and I made honor roll all 4 semesters,so give that a shot maybe?

:)

Answer 6

take away privileges until she gets the grades you want her to get

Answer 7

study with her

find different approaches to teaching her something

Answer 8

first of all don't put any pressure on her... try to make her learn things from her interest area..If she love football and you want to teach something make her learn something related to that game...if you put more pressure than and she won't get good grades and than she will feel guilty and her confidence will also go down...children are like flowers don't ruin them with all these studies pressure...