Grades not the only issue in learning

Last week I began a discussion of grades in school, learning as a process, and problems related to the student's performance in school.

Parents who focus on grades alone often send a too narrowly focused message to the student. Instilling the desire to learn for the sake of learning, strategies for enhancing the learning process and learning how to learn include the following elements:


Learning the value of delayed gratification and the virtues of long as well as short-term goals
Learning good study skills
Learning the value of hard work and staying on task
Learning to view less than acceptable responses as opportunities for future improvement
Learning to be creative and seek alternatives


Grades are only part of the measure of successful learning. Some frequently asked questions are:

• Should good grades be rewarded with money? In general, material rewards for grades should be valued less than the positive feeling the student experiences as a result of their own knowledge that they accomplished something positive and valuable. Praise, rather than money, is often preferable but the praise needs to be for the effort and the process rather than simply the grade itself.

• Should I punish my child if he or she does poorly in school? Find out the reasons behind your child's poor performance in school. Start by talking to your child and then talk to the teacher if questions are unanswered. Punishing your child for poor school performance is punishment for many possible unknown reasons, which can lead to undesirable results.

• How can I help my child make better grades? Start by helping your child focus on the process, as discussed earlier, rather than the result. Begin by letting your child know how important the elements in the process are to you and reward results for improvement in these areas. Better grades should then follow.

• Should I talk to my child's teacher about his or her grades? Yes. Set up a conference and let the teacher know your concerns, interest, and willingness to help your child improve.

• What are the possible reasons behind my child's poor grades? As mentioned in last week's column on this subject, lowered motivation due to poor self-esteem, poor role models, an environment which discourages a child's desire to learn, and learning or emotional disabilities can all contribute to poor grades.

Rather than just grades, a parent needs to convey to the child that a good effort is desired. The parent then needs to be willing to do all that is possible to assist in this effort.

Copyright c 1998 Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D.