How to Help Your Teen Get Better Grades

If your teeanger has just brought home a bad report card, you should not panic. There is a way to help him recover and get back on track. With a bit of commitment on your part, both you and your teenager will see big changes.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Textbooks
• Paper
• Pencils
• Internet access (optional)

1. Carefully review your child's report card. If he or she has a C- or less in any course, make a note.
2. If your child has a C-, she will be committing to study that subject for 15 minutes every school night. If she has a D, she must commit to 30 minutes. If she has an F, she must study that subject for one hour every evening. Let your teenager know this upfront so that it's clear.
3. Make a simple form with a column for subject, another for assignment, and a third for a teacher's signature.
4. Every day, have your teenager fill out the classes and assignments for that day. You can use homework to assign your student in the evening. But if he does not have homework in a particular class, you must assign him work in the area he is studying in class. You can use work at the end of each chapter, extra practice at the end of the book (great for math!), find assignments online, or ask your child's teacher for extra work you can give him.
5. Check your teenager's work after she finishes. After a few days, you will be amazed at how much you know about what is going on in your child's studies. Do not let her turn in shoddy work. If there are errors, carefully explain them or send a note asking the teacher to explain if you cannot understand yourself.
6. At the end of every week, have your teenager bring home the form with signatures from every teacher. If there is something going on you don't know about, the teachers will let you know. They often have extra insight because they see how their students interact. It's also nice to hear that things are going great or that they think your son is helpful or entertaining or fun. This kind of communication seems to fall away after gradeschool, which may be part of the problem!
7. Make sure to ask for progress reports between quarters. This will help you to know if the grades are improving.

Tips & Warnings

• Once your teenager realizes you are holding him accountable, he will not "forget" to turn in his work anymore.
• Find other family members to help in areas where you are weak (if Aunt Jenny is a whiz at algebra, enlist her help!)
• You may find that your child has a learning disability. If he has difficulty writing, reading, or doing simple math, you may need to get extra help.
• A teenager can graduate from high school with an IEP (individualized educational plan), but getting a GED can be extremely difficult. If you suspect a learning disability, do not assume the GED is the easy way out!