What do all parents have in common? They want success for their children. It is no secret that a large part of success stems from playing to one’s individual strengths. In the world of education, not all classes are created equal when it comes to student aptitudes. But parents are in luck because most public and private schools offer a variety of academic rigor levels for every core class. Typically, rigor is classified from the General Education Level to the Advanced Level to the Gifted/Honors Level. There are also Advanced Placement (AP) courses and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses which are nationally and internationally standardized curricula, respectively. Before a child can truly benefit from the differing levels of rigor, he or she must know their strengths in the classroom. One way to do so is by reviewing all of your child’s progress reports and report cards. The classes in which they scored highest are potential rigor areas, particularly if they are earning in the 94-100 percentiles. Another area is pre-test benchmark scores. If your child earns top marks on pre-tests (which measure subject knowledge prior to instruction), this may be an indicator that they are ready to be exposed to more challenging material. Finally, we recommend that you have a discussion with your young one about what school subjects interest them most, and why. Often people work harder on things that fascinate them. The same logic rings true for growth areas. If your child is demonstrating lags or struggles in a given subject area, perhaps they need to drop a rigor level in order to continue to learn without harming their confidence in that area. Once you have identified your child’s strength and growth areas, contact their school to discuss the corresponding levels of rigor they offer. Be sure to ask about how each rigor level will impact classwork, pacing and homework assignments. Often there will be an adjustment period, so anticipate and allow time for that transition. Ideally, your child is able to construct a class schedule that allows them to remain challenged and engaged. Taking the time to coordinate rigor with aptitudes is something colleges take note of during the admissions process. They seek out candidates who are self-aware of their abilities and who are committed to growing academically. This does not necessarily mean that colleges only want students who enroll in AP or Honors across the board. In fact, many institutions would rather a pupil who has earned high B’s and A’s in a mix of varied rigor courses than to see a transcript of all C’s in high-rigor courses or all A’s in General Level courses. So as the school year revs into full swing, make sure to build a schedule for your child that will hone their abilities and make them an attractive candidate to universities.
You might believe that identifying when a child is struggling in school is a cinch. Surely, all a parent needs to do is review their child’s progress report or report card for scores below a “B” average, right? If that’s not enough, then obviously any attentive teacher worth his or her salt will promptly notify the parents of academic missteps from their little one. This is not a tried-and-true rule. While using grades as performance markers may seem self-explanatory in evaluating a child’s learning abilities, sometimes the challenges a student encounters in school do not always manifest via test scores or classroom conduct. Often, parents and educators must use additional indicators to take a closer look into lags of academic achievement. Consider your child’s pace when approaching their schoolwork. Does he or she complete all tasks within the recommended time allotted by teachers, or do they spend far longer on homework that should only take thirty minutes? Consider that when a concept is not well-solidified mentally, it takes longer to apply this concept to assignments. The inverse is also worth examining. Students who claim to finish a weeklong project in just shy of an hour might be avoiding academic struggles. Note that when a child misunderstands an assignment, it can cause frustration that breeds an attitude of dismissal and/or resignation. Instead of tackling the obstacle of confusion directly, some children may opt to ignore it. This leads to overwhelming amounts of late assignments, stressful cram sessions and lower scores. In either case of pacing, hiring a tutor might be useful for pinpointing specific areas for academic growth, and to create a more measured study regimen to complete homework and assignments. Aside from issues of time management and pace, students who are struggling in school may demonstrate this through changes in attitude. For instance, some children may lose confidence in class. Whereas they may have initially been raising their hands and openly participating, feeling confused about concepts can cause them to withdraw. Unsure of whether this pattern applies to your young pupil? Reach out to their instructors to discuss in-class performance. Kids may also lose enthusiasm for learning due to frustration or boredom. It is not uncommon to hear students profess to “hate school,” typically starting around the second or third grade. This is likely because the core curriculum for most public and private schools noticeably increases in difficulty when a child turns seven or eight-years-old, making some students may feel like they cannot keep up with the demand of their classes. A tutor who can transform learning into a fun and engaging experience stand to impact students who feel undermotivated or discouraged in a constructive way. Isolating the cause for your student’s underperformance in school could prove pivotal to their feelings towards school in general. Catch lags and missteps early, invite a tutor to help hone your child’s abilities, and watch them soar!
