So many of our parents are concerned about their child’s low English grades, unsure how to help them. This is further complicated when the parents are non-native English speakers, unable to see where they went wrong and how to help. Sometimes it is as easy as getting them to hand in their assignments on time but sometimes there are problems with the composition, organisation and style of the submission. We have been doing this for over two decades and we have over a hundred combined experience-hours of helping precisely these kinds of students. Read ahead and we will give you some pointers and how to remedy this problem, ensuring that it does not compromise their academic and professional future.
Organizational Issues
When students have many classes, which they all do, they have different deadlines with different requirements. The first step is to put everything into an organiser to ensure that your kids do not miss certain dates, whether it be for the rough draft or final submission. It is important to read the assignments carefully, giving the teachers exactly what they are expecting. Some mistakes can have huge consequences (when it comes to grading) and they are not difficult to address. For example, the teacher may ask for an outline prior to composition, to make sure that the student is fulfilling their obligations correctly. Alternatively, they may ask for diagrams (or media) to accompany the assignment, with an incomplete project being graded down. This means that they should meet with someone that can help them, someone competent that they can trust. It is common for students to ignore small details that are essential in getting the highest mark possible. In all circumstances, the marking rubric is the guide to success.
Correctly Writing Issues
Sometimes the work is handed in correctly but the writing is problematic. It is one thing to get help with a specific assignment but this does not correct mechanical issues. This could be a limited vocabulary, poor essay organisation, or uncertainty about how to format or execute a thesis. This is best addressed with drills and practice assignments. For example, your child could be asked to write a sample essay outline, filling in the hook, transitions, thesis, antithesis, evidence and conclusions. This takes practice but it is essential for advancing onto high school and post secondary learning. Once the draft is generated, the student is asked to make a rough draft, which is corrected for consistency and quality. After doing this several times over, the skills are absorbed and the work becomes automatic. To improve vocabulary, the best approach is to read advanced material and underline the words that are unknown or not understood sufficiently. They should be defined, written in context (used in a sentence) and connected to other material at the appropriate level.
What’s Next?
If this seems a little bit complicated, you need not worry. As long as you understand that there is a problem, there are many ways to find solutions. Here at Inspiration Learning Center, our team is staffed by professional writers, PHD students, industry leaders and other professional educators. Rather than being led blindly in the dark, the work becomes simple and the results become apparent in only a short time. Rather than waiting for years to see an improvement, our students see their grades improve in as little as three months. This is in credit to our unique East-meets-West teaching methodology which harnesses the best of both educational systems. By seeing their grades improve, their self esteem will rise in tandem!
