Seventh grade is the hardest year of school your child is experiencing so far, and things are getting more complicated for them. Even if your child is doing well in their other subjects, you may notice that they’re language arts grades are slipping. They have to read and comprehend texts that have complex ideas and vocabularies, so it’s no wonder they may be having a hard time.
Signs of Struggling
With the greater demand on their time and mental efforts, there are some things you can see that will tell you if your child is having a hard time with Language Arts.
- Lack of focus while reading or writing. If they are spending most of the time while working on their homework spacing out and not looking at the material, they are not fully engaged with their work.
- Lower grades or not turning work in. If your child is missing a lot of their assignments or is getting poor grades and feedback, then they may be struggling with the material, especially if their other grades are holding steady. Low grades and feedback from their teacher is the most direct way you will see any problems, of course.
- Not adding enough detail to their writing. This is a common problem for students in seventh grade. Whether the cause is a lack of interest or not knowing how to express their ideas in their writing, if their paragraphs are thin they are likely having a hard time.
How You Can Help
Luckily, there are some ways to help your child get back on track.
- Talk to their teacher. Holding a conference with their teacher can give you a lot of insight into why they may be struggling in class or with their assignments. Their teacher can also help make adjustments for your child to help them succeed.
- Enroll in Reading Genie. Wherever your child is struggling, the program at Reading Genie is designed to help not only get them back on track, but also to surpass what they’re learning in class. The teachers give helpful feedback with assignments that are fun and challenging, building your child’s skills and confidence.
- Set up a good reading environment. Your child may simply not have a good setup for reading or writing effectively. Try a few different things, too; they may prefer quiet with specific light settings, or they may do better with some music playing in the background. Make sure they practice reading at least 30 minutes each day, whether they are reading for an assignment or for fun.
- Discuss their assignments with them. Talk to your child about the book they are reading (even read it yourself to help engage with your child) or about their writing assignment. They may have a lot of ideas that just aren’t translating to their writing, or they may be having a hard time understanding the material in the first place.
No matter where your child is struggling with their language arts skills, now is an important time to catch any problems. They may be having a hard time, but their work is only going to get more difficult as they progress in school. Make sure they know how important being an effective reader and writer is so they don’t give up.
Source: https://www.familyeducation.com/school/reading-difficulties/seventh-graders-trouble-reading
