AVOID THESE THREE GRADE-ZAPPING HABITS
1. Not Turning in Homework Assignments
Typically, homework assignments are worth 10% or more of your child’s final class grade. This means that even if your scholar aced every quiz and exam during the nine-week period, getting zeroes on homework assignments will drop their final grade. A severe drop could also result in a total letter-grade change, going from an A (90%) to a B (80%) or worse.
- Make sure your child submits their assignments on, or before the due date. Free web applications like Google Calendar do a great job keeping students on track with assignments, projects, and more. Here’s a quick video on how to use Google Calendar as a student planner, published by ACMSHistoryChannel.
2. Not Completing Classwork
Classwork counts for 20% to 30% of your child’s final grade. If a scholar is in the habit of turning in work that is partially completed, or not done at all, the issue might run deeper than daydreaming in class or socializing during instruction time. Incomplete classwork can be a symptom of a learning gap.
According to Dr. Richard Selznick’s article Understanding Shut-Down Learners (1), children who shut-down in a classroom, “receive work on a daily basis that they simply cannot handle, causing them unnecessary frustration. Too often, parents and teachers do not understand the skill deficits that are causing a child difficulty.”
- Contact your child’s teacher to find out how much of the final grade is due to incomplete classwork, and ask to view samples of in-class assignments.
3. Not Studying
Even when teachers do not assign homework for a class, students should review previously taught material to stay confident in their ability to recall information. Studies show that self-confidence is a crucial component to performing well on tests (2). Studying at home improves a scholar’s level of confidence while reducing anxiety about tests, especially pop-quizzes.
- Make study time a part of your daily after-school routine regardless of whether or not your child has homework.
With all this said, remember to have fun while creating new habits to replace old ones. Reinforce positive behaviors with simple rewards to fuel your child’s motivation to succeed. By correcting these three core habits, your child is well on their way to improving their grades before the next report card rolls out.
Message from the CEO
Hello BGAP Families!
We welcome back all our students for learning.
BGAP values the safety of our students, teachers, staff and our parents, and that’s paramount — no exception.
As we strive to reopen our center for learning, we are making every effort to bring back our in-person classes as safely as possible — along with the option of virtual learning. We have always maintained a high level of cleanliness and sanitation, but now we’re going above and beyond to implement stricter standards.
New center policies include:
- Maintaining more than 6-7ft distance between students and teachers
- Sanitizing and disinfecting after every class
- All teachers, students, and staff will be required to wear masks at all times in the center
- Any child who shows signs of illness (or lives with others who show signs of illness) should refrain from coming to the center.
- Hand washing before and after the class
- Checking temperature of staff upon entering
This policy change will help us continue to meet the needs of our students while also keeping them safe. Bridging Gap is here to serve, and we’re so excited to be able to see our students continue their learning despite the difficulties being thrown at them during this trying time.
Together, we “Prepare Today…Succeed Tomorrow!”
Alka Gupta
CEO and Founder, Bridging Gap USA(BGAP)