My daughter is in middle school. Her grades have always been average. Suddenly she is really struggling with the amount of reading involved in her social studies, science and reading classes. If she can’t complete the reading, she can’t even begin to complete the assignment. Any suggestions on how we can help her?

What you are experiencing is very common for students who are not strong readers. Many students struggle with reading in early elementary school but read well enough to get by with average grades. Usually by fifth grade when content area subjects like science and social studies involve extensive reading, the student may begin to slip below “average.” 

The good news is that reading can be improved at any age. The most important thing is to take action before your child becomes more overwhelmed. An assessment can pinpoint specific areas of need. We can help arrange for the assessment and recommend a course of intervention based on the results.

My daughter is a ninth grader. She is struggling in several subjects that involve a great deal of reading. She has always been a poor reader. Is there anything we can do to improve her comprehension?

The first step to improve your daughter’s reading is to have her formally evaluated. An in-depth reading evaluation will identify any problems she is having. This will also give you direction on what steps to pursue. If reading is the underlying cause of her struggle in other subjects, addressing reading issues will certainly improve her overall performance.

Tutoring Unlimited offers reading programs that are geared to the older reader. Working one-on-one with a professional tutor is usually the quickest way to see improvement in a child’s reading. Contact us to find out more about reading assessment services in your area and how tutoring may help.

How can I encourage my teen to do homework?

In middle school and high school homework becomes more intense and grades, more important. Teens are facing other challenges including the physical and emotional effects of puberty, busy social lives, sports commitments and part-time jobs. With a little support from parents, homework can be a positive experience for teens, and it can foster lifelong skills they’ll need to succeed in school and beyond.

Here are some tactics parents can use to help make homework easier for teens:

• Regularly go over what is coming up in the next few weeks. Planning ahead, prioritizing and staying organized can eliminate the panic induced by procrastination.
• Make sure that schoolwork is a top priority by setting ground rules on when and where homework will be done. Limit TV, phone calls, texting, and other free-time activities until homework is done and checked.
• Suggest a break if homework goes on for hours. A fresh mind may help finish up the task.
• Talk to your teens about how homework applies to real life, for example:
  • Completing assignments is good preparation for meeting work deadlines.
  • Topics in history class relate to what’s happening in today’s news.
  • Math skills are a foundation for balancing a checkbook and creating annual budgets for a business.

• Help your teen develop good study skills – both in class and out. When you’re helping your teen study for a test, for instance, suggest such strategies as using flashcards to memorize facts or taking notes and underlining while reading.
• As children get older, we sometimes forget the effects of praise and reward. A sticker or a piece of candy will no longer do the trick, but all teens have something they will work hard to get.

If your teen needs more help with study skills than you can provide, Tutoring Unlimited can help.