And even the middle students can be at risk if they don't get enough attention due to the demands of special-needs or gifted and talented students. Teachers now must individualize instruction so that students of many skill levels can benefit. But even teachers who are successful in tailoring instruction can face resistance from the students. They may suspect that their peers got a better or easier assignment, and that can raise issues of fairness. Parents can support teachers by explaining to their children that a variety of activities are needed to meet the different needs of students.
Parents also can help their children gain a voice in their own learning activities.
That student needs to be encouraged to speak up and seek another assignment with more challenge and relevancy. Parents can encourage this, and teachers will appreciate it. Parents also will be able to help their children develop good learning habits by encouraging them to go a step further with an assignment that is too basic. These learning habits are reinforced when Mom or Dad can relate a current event to a previously completed assignment. While Haring says she believes that teachers must meet the individual needs of all students, the trend toward making education more egalitarian has had its drawbacks.