Student's mission changes with different grades

Dec. 28, 2010 - PRLog -- Dear Dr. Fournier:

I am a regular reader of your articles online. I am the mother of a 12-year-old daughter who is in the seventh grade. She has always been an "A" student who has not had to work hard for her grades. However, this year the story is a little different. So far, her actual grades have not been bad (As and Bs), but when we average her test scores, they end up being Cs and Ds. Luckily for her the classroom participation and completing homework assignments are figured into her grades.

My husband and I are helping her study each night but feel that our study methods may not be the most appropriate for her. Unfortunately, she seems rather uninterested in studying and unconcerned about her grades. I feel that since this is the first time she has really had to work hard for good grades, she is at a loss for how to handle the pressure.

Gretchen G.
Lexington, KY

Dear Gretchen:

When good students suddenly have difficulty in school, parents often assume that it's due to lack of motivation. While this may be true for some students it's certainly not the case with the majority for students I have worked with over the years.  The real reason schoolwork becomes more difficult is that the curriculums expected of students as they make the transition from elementary school to middle school are more complex.  The shift is one from convergent thinking to divergent thinking.

For this reason, parents and children must be aware that the purpose of education changes at certain grades. When the purpose changes, the method to achieve success must change too. Students cannot continue to use convergent tactics (like rote memorization) for a divergent curriculum and expect the same results that they had before the focus shifted.

ASSESSMENT

In grades one through six, children are taught basic skills and given the opportunity to practice and repeat these skills until they master them. Basic skills is a catchall group that includes reading, writing and arithmetic, but also include decoding words and meanings, understanding the differences between facts and opinions, identifying the main ideas and supporting information, grammar, punctuation, and language formulation with logic and sequences, just to name a few.

Basic skills are learned through repetition. This is why, regardless of grade, most textbooks start with a review of what has been taught before. It takes all of elementary school for most children to practice these skills until they become automatic.

In grades seven and eight, the purpose of school changes. Basic skills are assumed to be in place. Now, students must use those skills to access information and demonstrate ownership of the information by "translating" it in a unique way.  This is best thought of as the ability to paraphrase.  Here, the premium shifts from the ability to memorize through repetition in a convergent way to a more divergent, abstract understanding of information that will ultimately lead the student to the creation of new knowledge.

Here are a few examples of how elementary and middle school differ:

In elementary school, students are asked to memorize a poem about a topic. In middle school students are asked to read the poem and interpret the message that the author intended for his readers.

In elementary school students are asked to memorize the dates of the American Revolution the major victories and who led the battles. In middle school the above is given, but the students are now also to compare and contrast the motivations for the Confederacy and the Union stances, and use them to explain why we had a Civil War.

In elementary school students are asked to write a book report. In middle school students are asked to identify with a certain character and explain why the character is important to the book.

Many children do well in elementary school because they develop basic skills quickly. Repetition works. However, the erroneous belief that repetition – having a good memory – remains the key to success as they move into middle school is a common downfall that is a major source of frustration.

WHAT TO DO

To find the best learning strategies for your child, begin by recognizing that the destination is different. Help your daughter develop the main skill she needs not for studying, but for learning:

•   Paraphrasing. Unless your child is able to read, write and do math through explanations of her own, you are ultimately headed for problems.

•   Instead of working with her to read and answer questions use the time together to discuss that she is learning. Make sure your daughter understands and can explain the cause-and-effect relationship of important events. Challenge her to ask “why?” and help her develop confidence in her own answers.

•   Middle school is a major transition for students and parents. As you adapt to the new requirements, remember one important rule: If you do something and it doesn't give you the desired results, doing more of the same will not yield different results.  The mission must change.

CONTACT DR. FOURNIER

Have a question about education, education-related issues or your child’s schoolwork or homework? Ask Dr. Fournier and look for her answer in this column. E-mail your question or comment to Dr. Yvonne Fournier at drfournier@hfhw.net.

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For 30 years, Dr. Yvonne Fournier has been helping children become more successful in school. Her column, "Hassle-Free Homework," was published by Scripps Howard News Service for 20 years. She holds her doctorate in education.