adminkidbizo

What To Do If Your Child Constantly Gets Bad Grades? READING LITERACY (AGE 8 - 10) For a child, there is a tremendous amount of frustration and shame that can come from doing poorly in school. It is important for you to be there to help your child get their grades and their confidence back up. Giving them the tools and encouragement t to do that are wonderful long-term gifts. No matter the issue, it is imperative that you talk to your child. Reassure them that you are there to help them get through it. Let them know that if they are willing to take the right measures they will surely improve their results. Potential Causes  One likely reason your child could be getting bad grades could be literacy issues related to reading ability. Reading is a complex task that requires skills and recognition honed over many years. Certain elements of the skill do not come as easily to certain children. NOTE: Literacy is a two sided coin encompassing both the ability to read and write (LINK).  A direct factor in reading ability is your child’s phonemic awareness. This is their ability to hear, identify and manipulate phonemes, the smallest differentiable units of sound. Phonemic awareness is the foundation of phonics. An example of phonemes are the three separate sounds in the word ‘cat’. Think of these as the building blocks that build the words which build the language we read. Literacy is more than the ability to read. It is the ability to interpret and understand concepts and ideas through reading. Literacy is important for school success at all levels. A strong foundation must be set in earlier grades to maximize future potential. It is even more important for long-term success as adults. The ability to read and understand quickly matched with clear written communication are meta skills in life. They are fundamental to almost anything your child will do in their present and future. The ability to read effectively is something your children will thank you for. What To Do?  Determine if in fact your child’s bad grade(s) result from literacy issues related to reading ability and comprehension. The easiest way to do this is to test their reading. Have your child read something at their grade level and observe their actual reading ability. Look for areas they struggle with to determine patterns or issues. This will give you an indication of their current skill level versus the material they should be reading at their grade level. Based on how they do there are several valuable steps you can take to get their literacy skills to where they need to be. Ask Yourself? Does my child often guess words instead of sounding them out? Do they mispronounce or skip words? Does my child understand the test questions, assignments and classroom discussions that rely on reading and writing? Do they have similar issues with homework assignments? Are their grades poor in classes that require better literacy skills (languages, science) [...]