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Do You Know Why Your Child Gets Bad Grades?

Before you can make a plan of action for improvement, you need to find out why he’s getting these grades.

Here are some things you should consider:

• Effort. Does your child hand in assignments late or not at all? Does he rush through his homework? Does he tend to put off doing assignments until the last possible minute? Is every paper he turns in messy?

• Ability. Not all children are equally gifted in all subjects. As one mother reflected when her daughter earned a C in penmanship, “For my kid, that’s probably the best she can do.” Your child’s teacher is probably the best person to ask about your child’s ability.

• Physical and emotional health. Your straight-A student suddenly comes down with a bad case of allergies and falls behind in his work. Or, you didn’t discover he needed glasses until the end of the grading period.

When you’ve determined the cause of your child’s poor grades, together you can make a plan to improve them.

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