Many parents find themselves puzzled when their formerly straight-A student starts to founder when they reach middle school. Fortunately, these alarming changes do not spell doom for children’s high school and college careers. While there are a variety of reasons students might start to struggle, parents have many options for providing support so their kids can turn things around academically.

Organizational Challenges

Students who are generally able to absorb and understand the information presented by their teachers but see their grades go down in middle school are often experiencing challenges in completing and returning homework assignments. While they can effectively participate in classroom discussion, they struggle with keeping track of assignments, setting enough time aside to complete assignments and returning assignments to teachers on the due date.

Middle school is known as a period of ramped-up homework, and students that were able to get by with the limited home-based assignments required in elementary school find themselves in a difficult place when homework increases. Parents can intervene and support students experiencing this issue by coaching on organizational and executive function skills and assisting children with setting homework routines.

Homework Help

In some cases, students are not accustomed to teaching methods that require them to move from classroom to classroom, taking notes on teachers’ lectures and then completing their related homework assignments on their own. Transitioning to a schedule that has students in multiple classrooms with multiple teachers reduces their built-in support system, particularly when their friends aren’t in the same classes. Student/teacher relationships are not as close as they were in elementary school, and students may struggle with the increased independence.

Many parents choose to support their middle schoolers through the one-on-one attention that private tutoring offers. Students gain consistent assistance from a single individual that can help students understand complex concepts and complete difficult assignments. These one-on-one relationships take the place of the close teacher/student relationships that are common in elementary classrooms, offering children learning opportunities tailored specifically to their learning styles.

When in-person tutoring isn’t possible, online tutoring services offer an affordable alternative. Quality online tutors offer real-time, personal assistance through an advanced technological platform.

Growingstars.com is a pioneer in live online tutoring, offering affordable, effective and flexible student support. Video testimonies of top educators, parents and students attest to Growingstars.com’s proven track record of success.