Dealing With Bad Grades in Middle School

First, speak to your child. Ask why she thinks she is getting such poor grades. Hopefully, even at this age, you have an inkling that academics are a problem because you have seen test grades or have gotten calls about missed homework.

Next, speak to the teacher. If your child is doing poorly in a class, schedule an appointment with the teacher to determine what the problem might be.

Check on your child's homework. If the problem is not doing homework, then check in with your child every day and ask about what homework is due in each subject. Sometimes, children simply fail to write down assignments. If this is the case, speak to your child's teacher about getting a list of assignments. Many schools now have web sites that you and your child can use to get the homework assignments, long-term project assignments and due dates.

Make sure your child is organized. The jump from elementary school to middle school is extremely difficult if a child is not organized. Sit down with your child and make sure his/her planner is "user friendly" and go over how to use it. Write down long-term assignments and tests on a large calendar in his room. Before these long-term projects and tests, have your child write down a study schedule for the test and put the long-term assignment as a daily assignment at least a week before it is due. Be prepared to spend part of the weekend before a long-term assignment working on it.

Seek professional help. If these measures do not work, consultation with a learning specialist may be warranted. Speak to your child's teacher about this. Perhaps your child has some learning issues or organizational issues that a professional in educational psychology might need to address with your child. Also, if you are getting into conflicts with your child around these issues, then putting it in the hands of an outsider might be beneficial to your relationship with your child.

Teach study skills. For a child who is doing homework but not doing well on tests, then study skills need to be taught and cultivated. Again, seeking advice from the learning specialist at your school or your child's teacher would be a good way to help you help your child. Some kids are naturals at studying, but others need to learn how.

Resist the urge to help too much. Do not, under any circumstances, do your child's work for him or her. Checking over papers for obvious problems or guiding your child is one thing, but actually doing the project is a real no-no. Kids need to learn how to do such things by themselves. Again, if you feel your child needs more attention, ask your child's teacher about extra help sessions or perhaps another professional to help.

Get an evaluation and support, if necessary. If you or your child's teacher feels that your child has a learning disability or an attention problem then referral for an evaluation is important. You should discuss this with the school's educational psychologist and your child's health-care provider. Some children do well in the shelter of elementary school but can not handle the higher level educational demands and organizational skills necessary to succeed in middle school or high school.

Don't forget to play up your child's strengths. Adults work at jobs that generally reflect their strengths. Very few people are superstars in everything!