It can be frustrating as a parent to see your smart kid struggling in school. Whether the student is part of a gifted and talented program or is taking an honors course, there can be many different reasons why your child may be struggling. In this article, I want to break down what these struggles are and how you can fix it so your student can thrive!
Reasons Why a Smart Kid Struggles
1. Lack of Challenge/Engagement
When a smart kid is placed in a classroom, they may grow bored or distracted if the curriculum is not engaging enough. The tough thing about this is the modern classroom these days teaches to the average student. This can leave the gifted students feeling bored and disengaged from the lesson. Disengagement can lead to procrastination which can create struggles for the student in the curriculum. Once a student is disengaged and begins falling behind, it becomes exponentially more difficult for the student to get back on track again.
2. Executive Function Issues
Executive functioning is a core contributor to a student’s organization. Just because a student is smart and ahead of their peers does not mean they have organizational skills. Many students enter high school with an executive function deficit which can contribute to falling behind. Clevelandclinic.org describes executive function as the following:
Executive function refers to skills that you use to manage everyday tasks like making plans, solving problems and adapting to new situations. The three main skills are working memory, cognitive flexibility and inhibition control. These skills develop during your lifetime, often declining as you get older. But there are ways to keep and improve them.
You can identify executive function challenges with the following behaviors:
- Difficulty staying on task
- Trouble staying organized
- Can’t initiate tasks
- Quickly overwhelmed by homework or projects
While these are just a few signs, you’ll notice that’s there’s a lot of symptom overlap with ADHD. While having executive function difficulties doesn’t mean you have ADHD, many students with ADHD will have executive function issues. These issues are compounded as students exit middle school and become independent learners in high school. I recommend checking out our article on executive function if you want more information.
3. Undiagnosed Learning Differences
While many students who are gifted can excel in a variety of different subjects, it’s common for gifted students to fall into the category of ‘twice exceptional’. These students, while gifted, can be diagnosed with more or more of the following learning differences:
- ADHD
- Autism
- Dyslexia
- Dysgraphia
It could be worth looking into testing for a diagnosis if you believe your student may have any of the following learning differences. When a student has the learning support needed, it can drastically increase their performance in the classroom.
4. Poor Learning Environment
A smart kid needs a learning environment that encourages them to be the best they can be! While briefly touched on previously, a typical learning environment can often leave a smart student wanting more. When a student lacks the support they need, they become disengaged in their learning. Individualized learning environments are a huge benefit to these students. Schools that feature small class sizes (or even one-on-one classrooms) can really help push the student to new heights. In addition, they’ll be happier inside the classroom, and become more engaged!
How to Help Your Smart Kid Succeed!
1. Identify the Root Cause
First and foremost, it’s important to figure out what is causing your child to struggle in school. Having a conversation about their frustrations and what they would like in their ideal classroom is a start. If you believe your student has a diagnosed learning difference it can be important to talk to them about it and see if getting tested is the next step. If the issue lies with executive functioning, a tutor or organizational training can really help!
2. Consider a Individualized Learning Environment
Many students can benefit from a smaller, more individualized learning environment. When the classroom is smaller, students are able to engage more with the lesson content and the teacher. Schools like The Tenney School offer an unparallel learning experience where every single one of our students learns one-on-one with their teachers. This allows students to develop a special academic relationship with the classroom that they can’t get anywhere else. In addition, students are able to move at their own pace. Is a student understanding a concept quickly? The teacher can speed up the lesson. Is a student beginning to fall behind and struggle? The teacher can slow the pace down. It gives the ultimate amount of flexibility to students!
3. Consider a Tutor!
Do you want your student to stay at their current school but want more support for them? A tutor is the perfect solution to this. Whether you need a tutor specialized in executive functioning or a tutor for a core subject, TenneyTutors has you covered! We can help your student get back on track and gain the confidence they need!