Daily Tips for Families

Today's Tip for Families

11-02-2021

Bad Report Card? Take Positive Steps

It’s natural for parents to get upset when a child receives a disappointing report card. But showing your frustration or anger won’t help your teen get better grades.

A better approach is to:

Put grades in perspective. Poor grades can sap your teen’s confidence. Make sure she knows you think grades are important—but that they are not a measure of her worth. Emphasize that it is learning that really matters.
Accent the positive. Talk about what your teen has done well—in an academic subject or an extracurricular activity. Ask her what she is most proud of.
Look behind the grade. Poor grades indicate that there’s a problem. Ask your teen what she thinks the problem is. Sometimes it’s not academic ability, but poor study habits or too many extracurricular activities.
Set realistic goals for improvement. Don’t expect all A’s if your teen is getting all C’s.
Contact your teen’s teachers. Encourage your teen to ask her teachers for help. If she continues to struggle, you may want to contact the teachers yourself. When you do, keep an open mind. Sometimes students try their best but still fail. Or they blame teachers for their troubles. Don’t assume there’s something wrong with the program or the teachers. Gather more information by asking teachers for their view of what’s going on and how you can help.

Brought to you by:

Webster County Schools

[School Success Ideas for Families]