How do you get a boy, going into 6th grade, to meet his educational potential?

Question

My son is 11 years old & going into the 6th grade. He has always been an A - B student, but this past year, I saw some C's. He is a very social child & seems to want to rush through everything to socalize with others. I have tried talking to him about the importance of slowing down, taking his time & doing things right the first time actually saves time. Any advice would be appreciatated!

Answer 1

Only let him socialize, talk on the phone, IM, etc. or other forms of entertainment (like video games and TV) for 1/2 an hour to 1 hour before his bed time on school nights, and on Sunday nights. He'll have no reason to rush through his homework.

Check his homework, and make him redo any mistakes, and redo them again if he still does it wrong, etc. He'll be keen to do it right the first time.

Find out either from him (if he is willing to tell you) or from his teacher what they are studying in school, then talk with him about those topics during dinner or on car rides, and find fun activities to do with him related to those activities. Look online, visit museums, exhibits or shows coming through, etc.

You could institute an award system for report cart grades, one point, for every B, three for every A, 0 for every C, minus two for every D, minus FIVE for every F. Also assign points classroom behavior, if that is on his report card, like poor, needs improvement, satisfactory, good, outstanding.

Then he can trade points in for priveledges or treats like a movie, a game or atoy (preset the "price" in points). Take things away if his total report card is negative. Again discuss at the beginning of the term the prices of rewards and what consequences will be.

A combination of these might be even more effective than just one!

Answer 2

I am in the same situation, however I have discovered that the more I involve myself in his school work and make myself always available to him if he has questions that he's more willing to stay on task. I also give him a lot of positive feedback and as he easily gets distracted or discouraged with his work at home then I break up his homework into smaller time periods so he can have short break in between. He has made so much progress I am truly amazed and he's so proud of himself now that while I'm sure he doesn't love doing homework, it's no longer a struggle for us. The bottom line for me is to just be there for him.

Answer 3

Look, bullies aren't as usual as you believe. Bullies are in all faculties and extra so in prime university. Yer, a few individuals are a little bit obese and sure you most often perhaps picked on a little bit bit.. But not anything to fear approximately simply act as though it issues and the bully who's teasing you (which isn't that usual) will quite often give up if you happen to exhibit no response or no offence. Nothing to fear approximately, move into grade 6 feeling constructive and also you must be exceptional. Goodluck :)

Answer 4

Grounding him. Don't allow him to socialize (go out, use the phone, etc.) until his grades are up. And if you see them going down, do it again. Sure, he'll test it in the beginning and you'll have to be firm and consistent, which I know can be hard, but it won't take more than one missed dance, or phone call, or having to tell the coach he can't play this week because of his grades, and he'll be back on track.Make sure he knows what the rules are and make sure teachers, coaches, parents of friends are all in on it. Most will be more than willing to help If my grandfather had used soccer with my dad to get his grades up and consistently good, he'd be a PhD by now.

Answer 5

A: Rewards for good grades. Bribery, yes, but we all get bribed with a paycheck.

B: A system called Love and Logic. (you can find info on line) As much as you love him, more and more he is going to be making his own choices with school and friends. And, sooner or later he will have to deal with the consequences of each of his choices. The best we can do is teach him how to make good choices, and take responsibility for those choices. That is where Love and Logic comes in. I have been a foster parent for a long time, and using these principles have taken a ton of worry off my shoulders, and put some adult thinking heads on teenagers.

Check out the site/system (I think it is loveandlogic.com?). It has been a huge help to me.

Answer 6

My daughter went from a B/C student in 5th grade to being a C/D student in 6th. I was concerned about this and spoke to her guidance counselor who helped me a lot. In our school district the move from 5th to 6th grade is major - she went from elementary to middle school where the teaching methos and routines are very different. Also, kids have two jobs at this age; one is to learn and get good grades and the other is to learn how to make relationships. My daughter has made great improvements in that area but at the expense of the grades. So, now it is about finding a balance.
Hopefully 7th grade will be smoother for him. If you are still concerned then have him stay after with his teachers for extra help or join a study group. These things have helped my daughter improve her last two semesters in school.

Answer 7

Remind him that his grades are important, and they should come before social activities. Ask him what he wants to do after he gets out of school......collage? Let him know that to reach his goals he needs to work hard and balance it with time with friends but studies should always come first. Also work with him a little bit every night, just to check homework and go over what he did that day in school. That way he knows you are checking up and making sure he stays on task. Good luck :) :)

Answer 8

I think that at his age it is normal fo rschool work to lose its importance! I wouldnt go nuts punishing him or anything he sounds like a pretty good kid, and it sounds like you have done your job by already explaining how essential good grades are!! So all you can really do is monitor him as best you can and make sure he does his homework nice and neat and that he puts his best effort into it.
Is he into sports? Becasue if so c's and d's aren tgonna cut it and he wont be allowed to play..if that helps.

Answer 9

It's perectly normal at that age.

Set limits. No socializing before homework is done and checked over.

Answer 10

During the week not let him talk to his friends since he'll have nothing else to do, he'll have to do his homework!!