There are programs that both help you assess your child s academic skills as well as provide any supplemental services he may need. Huntington Learning Centers and Sylvan Learning Centers are two national companies and there are an increasing number of highly regarded local firms started by teachers. Once you have figured out the necessary school content, it s important to know how your child s school works to ensure that the goals both you and the school set will be reached. Some schools group children by ability in some or all classes. Some believe that this allows teachers to tailor the pace of learning to different groups of children, while others prefer more heterogeneous, natural groups of children.
Many schools offer special programs to challenge bright kids or to help kids who are behind.
You may not always be able to direct how your child is educated. But, it s important that you ve at least made the effort to identify the kinds of approaches your teachers will use and to make clear that you re ready to be an advocate for change if something falls short of the goals you ve now set. Information is power and most teachers welcome your insights into what makes your child tick, what it is you re hoping he ll achieve this year and how you plan to jump in when necessary to ensure he gets there. For now, it is most important that you have a clear idea of where your child will be headed this year and the approaches that will get him there.