Many parents believe that their children’s performance, or lack thereof, is solely the school’s responsibility. However, several reasons account for why your kid’s grades may be falling behind. Remember that your young ones’ performance is enhanced by the parties involved – the teachers and parents. So if one side fails to play its part, it can affect the child’s progress. According to news reports, one-fifth of kids fail to achieve desired grades in Maths and English. These tips may help you decide what to do if you’re ever in a similar situation.
- Change schools if necessary
Usually, parents will change schools because it seems like the ideal thing to do. This is right only if the current school fails your child on all levels. For example, it is advisable to take this measure if the teaching staff are not qualified or the curriculum isn’t fit for your child’s age range. Sometimes, it may be necessary to report to the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted). The only downside is that Ofsted usually would not act on individual complaints. On the other hand, if the problem is widespread and parent groups report to Ofsted, something timely can be done.
Usually, after such reports have been made, most parents would rather move their children to other schools. If this is your specific case, there will be an increased responsibility to get it right this time. This involves researching the new school your children will attend as much as possible. Find out more about the curriculum, educational infrastructure, and quality of teaching staff. More importantly, it would help to know more about the school’s interventions to support children who need additional help. You will find these interventions in some private primary schools.
- Share your observations with the teacher
Your child’s class teacher may be the first to notice the drop in performance. If you haven’t been approached yet, it would be prudent to take the initiative to discuss your child’s failing grades. It pays to be proactive, especially when your child’s future is in jeopardy. Usually, your observations will start from their struggles with homework or school-assigned projects. It helps to notice this in the early stages before the end-of-term examinations. The situation might be salvaged before your young one writes their exams.
When sharing these observations with their class teacher, it is advisable to ask if they have also noticed the same. Sharing notes on this issue can help reduce the frustration you might be feeling as a parent. Possibly, internal or external issues may be responsible. Therefore, having this talk with the teacher may draw your attention to potential causes. It will also be an opportunity to share ideas on timely mitigating measures to help your child.
- Handle it from a psychological perspective
If something emotional or psychological is the root cause of your child’s falling grades, seeing a specialist may help. In most cases, this is the last resort when everything else has failed. An educational psychological evaluation can help rule out any developmental deficiencies. Although children develop at their own pace, there are standard milestones they are evaluated by.
This approach has benefited parents. Perhaps, all that’s needed is to enrol your struggling child in a tutoring programme. In other cases, guidance counsellors may be recommended. The reason for these evaluations is to rule out or confirm any deficiencies.