It means your child might not be learning important skills he’ll need for future learning.

If you think your child can do better, you must take action. Here’s what experts at well-known learning centers recommend:

• Speak with your child. Ask why he thinks he’s getting poor grades. How could he do better?
• Pinpoint the problem. Has your child been absent too much to learn? Does he hand in homework on time? Does he have attention or behavior problems?
• Share your expectations. Tell your child you take getting poor grades seriously, and you want him to, too. Say he doesn’t have to get all A’s. But he does need to try his best and ask for help.
• Talk with the teacher. Ask if your child is working up to his ability. If not, what keeps him from doing so? What can you, your child and the teacher do to overcome difficulties?
• Plan for improvement. Set a realistic goal for improvement in each area that is needed—like turning a C into a B-, or improving study skills by doing homework at a regular time.
• Monitor your child’s progress. Talk with your child every day about homework. Ask what’s difficult or unclear. Also ask the teacher to let you know whether or not things are going well.
• Praise your child’s successes. Don’t just focus on your child’s weaknesses. Notice where your child does well, even in an extracurricular activity.