Prevention of school failure: tips and recommendations

School failure is a problem suffered by millions of children and adolescents of school age, and although it is reflected in a very clear way in grades and passing problems, has much deeper implications than can be reflected in a simple number; in most cases they condition the personal and professional development of young people as they enter adolescence and adulthood.

This phenomenon generates great discomfort both emotionally and in relation to personal relationships, all of this at one stage of the life in which young people are especially vulnerable and sensitive to everything that affects the development of their personality and self-esteem.

That's why, In this article we will review several tips for the prevention of school failure, to be applied both by fathers and mothers and by the children themselves.

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What to do as parents to prevent school failure?

Here are some guidelines for parents to follow:

1. Promote dialogue

Dialogue with our son is essential throughout his childhood; It will allow us to get to know her better and to know first-hand when she has problems and how we can help her..

In the same way, it is important to promote daily dialogue, so that our son is able to communicate with us any problem that can present and be willing to help her at every moment of her life, both in a case of school failure and in any other problematic. This implies not scolding her gratuitously when she says that she doesn't understand something, nor when she says that she hasn't been able to do her homework because she doesn't know how to solve the exercises. In this way, she will know that she can rely on our support, instead of treating homework and studying as something clandestine that you should not talk about with your parents in order to avoid situations nasty.

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2. Practice a positive discipline style

Positive discipline bets more on respect for people than on punishment, that is, for valuing above all the physical and emotional well-being of the boy or girl and make it easier for him to be involved in his responsibilities due to the desire to learn and improve in various areas of their life, and not based on fear of scolding.

By putting into practice a model of positive discipline to educate our children, we will make them grow in a healthy environment, based on respect, love and understanding in the face of any problem they may have. For this, it is important that we prioritize giving help when problems arise, in the first place, instead of adopt a hostile attitude immediately after learning that they have not done their homework, have not studied, etc

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3. Avoid using tags

Saying things like “you are a bad student”, in addition to predisposing the boy or girl to adopt a defensive attitude towards everything that has to do with school, will damage his or her self-esteem and it will make it easier for him to fall into the self-fulfilling prophecy: before starting to study or do homework, he will "know" that he will not be able to and that therefore he is losing his mind. time. That's why, it is very important to deal with school problems without using such labels; instead, you have to focus on the verb, not on the nouns and adjectives: “you have problems doing your homework”, “this subject is difficult for you”, etc.

4. Set both short and long term goals

Setting short-term and long-term daily goals is a good way to motivate our child to fulfill her school responsibilities; It is counterproductive to say that they must pass a minimum of X subjects at the end of the course or quarter.

Combining short-term and long-term progress benchmarks we will give them reasons to get involved in their studies knowing that they can feel good about it in a matter of hours or a few days.

This reward system must be based on the word; for example, by letting them see that we appreciate their advances and that these are a sign of maturity, of their progress towards psychological maturity. We must make it clear to our children that the important thing is that they are responsible and that they fulfill their duty beyond material rewards.

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5. Maintain an ongoing relationship with the school

Maintaining a two-way relationship with the school is also essential to deal with any type of problem that may having our child, and this will ensure that we have a direct route to the center whenever we need it, to deal with any issue.

Whether our child has learning problems, school or social relationship difficulties, they can always be treated more effectively If communication with the school or institute is fluid from the first day. And of course, we must not get defensive if the teachers talk about the difficulties of our son or daughter, nor, for example, if they suggest taking reinforcement classes.

6. Do not abuse homework

Filling the holidays with hours and hours of doing homework with summer booklets often generates frustration in children and young people, leading them to associate school tasks with what separates them from fun and the possibility of disconnect. If they do homework, try to do it in very short sessions, so that basically they don't completely forget what they have been learning and have habitual "reminders".

7. encourage him to read

Many times, the solution lies in simplicity; in not a few cases the main problem that boys and girls have at school is that they have not developed a good reading comprehension, and for this reason, encouraging them to read novels or stories is more effective than giving them homework added.

8. Resort to external educational support

Sometimes we can also go to a private teacher to reinforce those subjects in which our son or daughter has more problems, making sure that it is a trained and qualified person for it.

A private teacher or teacher can be the impulse that our son/daughter needs to overcome their academic deficits and also the person with whom you learn, as well as knowledge, methodologies and useful study and work tricks adapted to your case. In addition, in this class format, it is much easier to ask questions about the agenda.

9. See a psychologist if necessary

Whenever the aforementioned advice does not have the desired effect, we can consider going to a qualified psychology professional and specialized in the field of children and adolescents, especially if we suspect that there is an emotional or neurodevelopmental problem that prevents them from progressing academically.

A psychologist will help us identify possible learning disorders that the boy or girl may have and will teach us all kinds of guidelines, advice and knowledge that we can put into practice to improve your physical or emotional well-being, as well as your performance in the school.

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What to do as a student to prevent school failure?

Here you will find several tips to prevent school failure designed for the students themselves.

1. Find what motivates you the most and start from there.

All human beings have something that motivates them in life, that fills them up and makes them happy. Therefore, you must find those areas of knowledge and skill development that motivate you to, from there, see which subjects are most related to them. Once you have linked part of the school activities to what motivates you beyond the school, it will be much easier for you to learn and study practically without meaning to, and fluid.

And when you've seen the progress you're able to make in one or two subjects because of that source of motivation, your self-esteem will be strong enough not to be intimidated by the rest of the subjects that resist you further.

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2. Dedicate part of your free time to reading the type of books that you like the most

Getting into the habit of reading fiction or nonfiction It will make you quickly develop your reading comprehension skills, a fundamental aspect to face the challenges that you must face in school.

3. Prioritize the organization

Organization is essential in any aspect of student life, especially if you have problems to concentrate or to successfully complete homework and assignments at school or the Institute.

Therefore, you must get used to organizing your pending tasks and daily schedules through an agenda or notebook where you can write down all your responsibilities. making sure they don't overlap each other, and you should also make sure that your workplace is clean, tidy and organized with all the necessary school supplies to your reach, without having to get up every time to change things.

4. motivate yourself

Set yourself small goals and rewards that you can access right after successfully completing each study session or homework you have in your day. Something symbolic, to remind you that you have been able to overcome the challenge that you have set for yourself, and occasionally a physical reward, such as a snack that you like.

Do you want to have psychological assistance for people of all ages?

In Adhara Psychology We work serving both adults, children and adolescents as well as families, to provide professional support from the principles of Humanist Psychology, adapting to the needs, concerns and particularities of each individual. We offer our services in person and online.