Q: Our 10 year old is a real go-getter who truly wants to do well in school. One of his goals is to make the honor roll every grading period; however, he does struggle at times to make it. How can we help him meet this goal?
A: Believe it or not, making the honor roll is a realistic goal for most children, especially in elementary school. Getting there is a combination of working hard, using good study skills, and focusing on doing their best.
Parents can help by making sure their children know how their teachers grade so their effort is placed in the right direction. Children do not always understand tests are more important than quizzes, some projects make up a major portion of a grade, and homework and/or class participation can play a big role in grades. Typically, teachers provide this information at back-to-school nights, or you can get it by phoning or emailing them.
It simply isn’t as easy sometimes as others for children to make the honor roll. A subject can suddenly become more difficult to master. Talk to your son about school every day and look at the work he brings home. Then at the first sign of trouble, you’ll be able to give or get him the help he needs. Also, outside events may impinge negatively on study time. Watch that your son is not spending too much time on television, video games, and extracurricular activities.
Beyond these things, one of the most important things that you can do is to make sure that your child has good study skills. Successful students know how to organize their work. Teach your son to develop a plan of attack before beginning his homework. And encourage him to follow one big secret to success in school, have him set aside time for review so he always feels on top of his work and ready for tests. Plus, the better your child’s study skills are now, the more likely he will continue to be on the honor roll in both middle school and high school.
Q: My third grader is constantly coming home upset because she has a mean teacher. How can I help her handle this situation? – Concerned
A: No young child should ever have to endure a truly mean teacher. But truly “mean” teachers are few and far between! Most teachers are caring individuals who enjoy working with students. Begin by finding out exactly why your child thinks this teacher is mean. What mean things is the teacher doing? Beware vague answers, as that may indicate your child is labeling other problems “meanness.” Is it possible that the teacher is simply more demanding than previous teachers or has a different teaching style than your child is accustomed to? Are other parents also getting the same reports? After doing some of your own investigating, it’s time to talk to the teacher. If this teacher is simply more demanding, you can empathize with your daughter about the situation. She may feel better from just venting her feelings and knowing you care about her. Even if you don’t like this teacher’s style, avoid talking badly about him or her to your child. The most positive thing that you can do is to help your child develop a strategy that enables her to deal with this teacher. This, of course, can be very hard for a third grader to do. The better she learns how to deal with all kinds of personalities, the more pleasant school will be for her, not just this year, but all her life.
