How to Get a Teen Boy to Do Better in School

Intervention might be needed to help your teenager in school.

A solid education provides the foundation for a child's future. While most children want to succeed, many lack the motivation. Teenagers who have strong teachers that can identify the student's problems will bring the behavior to your attention. However, you may have to do some investigating to determine where your child is falling short. Often, your child has personal reasons for not doing well, such a his peer group frowns upon achieving good grades.

Instructions

1. Talk to your child's teachers. Ask them to let you know when your child has a test so that you can ask him to show you his grade. Provide assistance for your child by going through the information that he got wrong.

2. Allow your child to fail a test that you know about. If you notice that he isn't studying, don't nag him to get to work. After he fails the test, work with him to improve his understanding. Teenagers learn more from their own mistakes than by being nagged.

3. Show him that you care. Ask him questions about what he learned that day. Ask him if he's having any issues and let him know you're there for him to talk to if he needs to. Teenagers don't have the life experience to help themselves in all situations, and many feel that they're showing a weakness by asking for help.

4. Talk to your child about the ways you see him coming up short, but don't make it a lecture. Teenagers respond better to friendly reminders about how to behave, rather than angry lectures. When requesting to speak with your child about his performance, ask him whether 7:00 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. works best for him, for example. This will make him more willing to talk to you because you're showing him respect by talking to him.

5. Teach your child the time-management techniques that work for you. These skills will not only help them find time to do homework, but they'll also stay with the child throughout life and help him in future endeavors.

6. Ask your child why he isn't doing well in school. If he doesn't know, that is a good indication that you need to intervene. Often, he's doing poorly because he isn't dedicating time to homework or he isn't concentrating in class.

References

• Positive Discipline: How do You Motivte a Teen?
• Military Schools and Alternatives to Military School