The social stresses of peers, sports, and school can be hard enough for any child, but for students at risk of failing their classes, it can be downright overwhelming.
It’s common knowledge that no two students learn in exactly the same way. Yet school subject material can only be taught in one manner. This places some students at risk of falling behind their peers academically, resulting in a loss of self-confidence, a dislike for school, and increased stress and frustration. The accumulation of these feelings, poor grades at school, and the stresses children face in social situations at school then make it even harder to concentrate during daily lessons, leading to a potentially very damaging vicious cycle.
But just because a student is at risk of failing or is receiving poor marks in school, it does not make them in any way “dumb” or “stupid,” as they may be called or feel personally. At-risk students are disproportionately male and of minority backgrounds, and tend not to participate in school activities or feel a personal connection to the school, but there are many, many reasons why a student at risk may have difficulty keeping up with their peers academically.
A few include:
Learning Styles: There are many ways to absorb information, and students need to discover for themselves what method works best for them. Once this happens, they can take their learning processes into their own hands, and are usually at an age that will allow them to do so. However, younger children who have not yet discovered their personal process of learning are in the control of their teacher. And while they may try to incorporate all different kinds of teaching into their lesson plan, it is impossible to meet every child’s needs, leaving some to fall behind.
Learning Disabilities/Special Needs: Sometimes a student at risk of failing a class has a physical reason for not being able to match their classmates in academics, like dyslexia or ADHD. Most schools offer special programs for children who exhibit diagnosed learning disabilities or require special attention, but these are usually lacking in resources and the first to be hit by any budget cuts. you can learn more about whether or not your child has a learning disability.
Troubled Teens: At-risk students who have aligned themselves with the wrong crowd and exhibit impulsive behaviour at school may see significant drops in their grades, even if they were straight-A students in previous years. Students at risk of failing also may be distracted by problems at home, drug addiction, pregnancy, and other serious problems that leave little time or energy for schoolwork.
Public schools can provide some help for at-risk students struggling in school, but their resources can be limited. At one of Canada’s many quality private schools, at-risk students receive the benefits that private and independent schools provide. Countless of at-risk students have already seen vast improvements in their academic achievement through the close attention that comes from small class sizes, the enthusiasm and support of passionate instructors and councilors, individually-customized education based on each student’s learning needs, up-to-date technology, and unique programs designed specifically to help students at risk of failing grades, whether it be for the fault of a learning disability, a different learning style, special needs, or a troubled personal life.
Our Kids features an extensive list of private and independent schools across Canada devoted specifically to at-risk students, including schools to help children with ADHD, and schools that teach students with special needs.
With some material from:
http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-928/risk.htm
