What to Do if Your High School Student’s Grades Have Been Disrupted by COVID-19

Life is getting closer to going back to normal, but the impact of the coronavirus outbreak last year is still being felt by many students – perhaps yours.

If your student fell behind while schools were closed in 2020 and has struggled with remote and/or hybrid learning, it’s not too late to fix things. Here’s what your student should do to address any low grades and get back on track:

• Talk openly with teachers about what your student needs to do now.

• If grades are an issue, there’s a good chance your student is missing a number of skills that are preventing them from progressing in one or more subjects. With many schools going to pass/fail grading in spring 2020, some students fell behind and it went undetected. Your student might still be there, struggling (and/or failing) to keep up. It’s time to arrange conversations with teachers to talk about where your student is having the most trouble and what to do about it.
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• Reassess the study skills.

• If your student was a freshman when schools closed, they were probably just getting used to high school-level academics. Study habits may have gone by the wayside, and perhaps your student never got back to good practices. Even sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a little more experience might need to adjust the way they study if their grades have dipped. Check in with your student to see if those study habits are lacking and determine a way to fix them.
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• Rebuild a good routine.

• “Routine” might be an unfamiliar word nowadays. It’s not ideal for students to bounce between in-person learning, asynchronous learning, and synchronous learning. If the constant change has taken a toll on your student’s ability to stay productive, focus, and actually complete schoolwork, they probably need help establishing good practices and figuring out how to be an efficient student, whether learning in a classroom or in front of the computer.
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• Remind your student that no problem is too great to overcome.

• If your student has had a hard time in school over the last year, it may be affecting their self-esteem. Be optimistic and let your student know that with your support and the support of teachers, your student can and will get back to being a capable, confident, and independent student once again.
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• Get help.

• This year has been uniquely challenging, and if your student has struggled, the best course of action is to get tutoring help. But remember: not just any tutoring will do. Your student needs a program of instruction that is designed to help your student regain lost skills and strengthen weaknesses, tailored to them. Poor grades in high school can hurt your student’s chances of admission to college. Don’t wait. Get help sooner than later so your student can come out of the COVID-19 slide a stronger, more resilient student.

Huntington can help your student overcome any problem areas and improve their grades. We offer individualized subject tutoring that is intended to help each student achieve their individual goals. We help students improve in reading, writing, math, science, and many other subjects and skills. Call 1-800 CAN LEARN to hear about our tutoring programs for high school students, including our SAT and ACT prep programs.