Recently, as I boarded a plane I overheard a heated discussion between a mother with her older son. They were fighting over his failing grades, and trying to find a way to make things better. It is a common problem. It’s a common problem. I have participated in numerous educational conferences that addressed this question: How to help teenagers whose grades are falling.
First, academic failure is a time for teens to face the reality that they may fail in school. They may need to reteck their study habits and improve their organizational skills in order to succeed in the class they are having difficulty with. The ability to negotiate with a teacher for an assessment or find someone you can ask for do my homework for me, this can also be considered a skill that will come in handy in life.
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These are some of my scholastic tips which have helped my students transform academic failure into academic success.
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Table of Contents
Perform a reading assessment
Reading analysis is a great place to start. Students who are unable to understand the course material will need to be taught how to read it. Students with reading problems can search for CDs of the textbooks. You can also look up the phonetic spellings for unmastered words. Keep a list of key vocabulary words and the phonetic spellings for any unmastered words. A word can be entered on any number of websites and the site will read it aloud.
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Daily study time can be bulk-up
Teenagers with low grades in classes or subjects should create a daily study schedule that allows for an additional 30 to 45 minutes each day. The additional time should be dedicated to the topic(s) that are of concern.
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Every resource should be used
Teenagers should learn the most important vocabulary and formulas during their designated study time. The key to understanding key concepts or formulas is to not allow the student to get confused. Online academic resources are readily available. A new explanation or method for solving a problem can make all of the difference.
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Ask for and accept assistance
Asking for help with any concept is a good idea. Teenagers experiencing difficulties in one or more classes could not be asking enough questions. They may also be shy or embarrassed to ask teachers or peers for help.
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Embrace pre-learning
Students can learn more by learning and pre-reading the terms and concepts ahead of challenging classes. Pre-learning can be helpful as it provides students with the foundational knowledge necessary to increase their understanding.
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Perform an end-of-day review
Reviewing class notes is a great way to help teens remember the lessons. Teens should spend at least 10 minutes reviewing each subject’s class notes each day. Students retain more from the day’s lesson by reviewing class notes each day.
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Reread difficult material
Students should take note of any formulas or leaning concepts that they don’t fully understand. Then, reread the material multiple times to increase their understanding. The student may have missed important concepts in their initial reading. This can be helped by rereading the material several times.
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Modify your attitude
The attitude of a student towards a class or subject is crucial. A student’s belief system can have an impact on their learning ability if they feel they don’t have the talent to do a certain subject. Even if they fail a class, students can still retain the information.
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Preparation for testing
Studying for quizzes or tests in the evenings at least a week ahead of an exam is a great way to help students. By allowing the brain more time to review and study, the learning concepts can be transferred from the short-term to the long-term memories.
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Retake difficult tasks
Summer classes can be a great way to fill in learning gaps. It is more common to take the same class twice because you have some knowledge base.
Students who have been through academic failure can find ways to overcome them. Effective educational methods and solutions are required to turn failing grades into passing grades. Students who have been unsuccessful in one or more classes may be able to learn how to succeed again and master previously learned material. If you combine hard work and proven educational solutions, academic achievement can be possible even for the most unlikely of candidates.
