Remember that “go get ‘em” attitude you and your child had at the beginning of the school year? That certainty that limiting TV and Internet use while setting aside time for homework and teacher meetings would lead to top grades all year long? If these seem like distant memories when the school year is half over, then you’re not alone. The following tips from Huntington Learning Center, a test preparation center located in Cave Creek, Arizona, can help get your child out of the mid-year slump and back on track to academic excellence.
- Tip #1: Grades and teacher conferences: If you believe your child could have received better grades in the first half of the school year, then talk directly with teachers to determine what issues may be impacting progress. This means talking about both the school and home environments. Family tension, financial concerns, health issues or marital problems can directly influence a child’s ability to concentrate in school. Creating a partnership between school and home is a responsibility that both parents and teachers share.
- Tip #2: Standardized test results: In recent years, parents and students have paid more attention to standardized tests that are given in the spring because these are the tests that determine whether a student moves on to the next grade or graduates. However, tests that are given in the fall may provide a warning of what skills should be strengthened. For example, if your child scored poorly in reading or mathematics at the beginning of the year, then you might pay particular attention to these areas as he prepares for the high-stakes tests that will be given in just a few months.
- Tip #3: Homework: While some students tend to complete homework successfully all year, many may have fallen out of the “homework habit” by the time the December holidays approach. This can be due to schedules getting busier, parents and students getting lax about checking homework or other reasons. After a long break, January is a good time to ramp up for the coming months by re-establishing important routines, such as setting time aside for homework each afternoon or evening and maintaining a specific area of your house or apartment specifically for homework.
- Tip #4: Work/Life Balance: Find the right amounts of leisure and learning time. Take a look at your child’s academic success during the first half of the year and weigh it against all of the extracurricular activities that filled his schedule. Were there enough hours in a typical day last semester to keep up with schoolwork while enjoying every activity? Working collaboratively, parents and students should create a well-rounded, balanced schedule. A balance is important for many reasons, not the least of which is developing well-rounded, active children who are engaged with others and the many opportunities beyond academics. However, most parents agree that education, and the opportunities that education can bring, should come first.
