Column: The Focused Student: Now’s the time to think about scholastic preventive maintenance
The school year has started. Fall clothes: shorts, jeans, skirts, shirts, T-shirts, blouses and shoes. Done. School supplies: notebooks, mechanical pencils, protractor, colored pencils, notebook paper, and graph paper for math and science. Done. Back on a school schedule (start time is half an hour later, thank goodness). Done.
So, we’re all set to succeed? Well, maybe not.
Remember all those reading, writing and math challenges from last year, and the tears and anger and angst they generated? Those challenges might have gone on summer hiatus, or perhaps had some amount of remedial attention, but they haven’t gone away. Now is the time to think about preventive maintenance.
Your kids probably say they don’t need any help. Mine did. Does any of this sound familiar?
“I’m really busy, and I won’t have enough time.”
“I’ve got this covered, Mom.”
“I won’t let it slide like last year, promise!”
Uh-huh. Then, about three weeks into the year, you look online and there are already missing assignments, the elementary teacher has called concerned about the performance level and you’re right back to playing catch-up.
Summer break is great, but all good things must come to an end. Putting a tutoring plan in place now can help keep your student from digging a hole he or she can’t easily get out of once the school year is rolling.
Where do you get help for your elementary, junior high or high school student?
There are a lot of options. If the only issue is subject matter deficiencies, ask other parents, for openers. Many have walked the road ahead of you, and they may point you toward capable, can-do tutors who will help improve your student’s attitude as well as his or her performance and grades.
In many cases, a tutor is just what’s needed — someone other than the parent to provide equal parts monitoring, assistance, coercion and praise. Match your student’s needs to the tutor. More experienced tutors, especially former teachers, might be the choice for a student who is seriously lagging. They often have a combination of experience and special training that works well. For a student who is only a bit behind in a subject, a slightly older peer might be the best matchup.
In some cases, more firepower is required. Educational therapists have specialized training and are best able to deal with not only subject-matter deficiencies but also underlying issues that may be impeding learning such as dyslexia, auditory or visual processing problems and attention deficit disorder, as well as anxiety and other psychological issues. These experts are able to get below the surface of schoolwork to help children remediate and compensate certain skills used in each class. They teach thinking and management skills that go beyond specific subjects and can be used on a broader basis.
There are an army of companies, local to national, that offer subject-matter assistance as well as specialized programs to deal with learning disabilities. Names you might have heard include Kumon, Lindamood-Bell, Kahn Academy and many others. Most are for-profit organizations, though Kahn Academy is a free online service. The challenge with these organizations is identifying which (if any) are the right fit for your student. Most are expensive, and you’ll want to know that the service is likely to be helpful before taking the plunge.
In the next few columns, I will discuss some of the warning signs that your student needs help, and the best ways to identify the options most likely to work for you and your child.
ROBERT FRANK is the executive director of the Hillside School and Learning Center in La Cañada. He holds a master’s of science degree in special education and has more than 40 years of teaching experience. His column appears on the last Thursday of each month. He can be reached at frank@hillsideforsuccess.org.
