By the age of thirteen, students are somewhat set in their classroom performance levels and their attitudes toward school. Lookers, for example, find school fairly rewarding. They particularly enjoy the process of designing and executing solo projects like reports, maps, inventions, and visual aids. Class participation and group projects, on the other hand, present uncomfortable social demands that most Lookers would rather avoid.
Listeners, who have logged in years of academic and social success, have reason to look forward to each and every school day. Many Listeners see class work as a necessary means to an end—social opportunity. So, even if their immediate goal is only chatting with a certain someone outside of English class or meeting with the eighth -grade dance committee. Listeners see school as a positive force in their lives.
Movers struggle as much with eighth-grade academics as they did with the course work of earlier grades, but the introduction of elective classes finally enables them to steer clear of language, art, music, and anything with a heavy reading requirement. With support. Movers can pass most or all of their required subjects; and, though they may frequently feel discouraged, they can redeem themselves in their own eyes and the eyes of their peers once they exit the classroom. Because of their physical talents, eighth-grade Movers are often popular teens despite their social reticence.
Can an adolescent's parents play a role in their child's academic life? Will their teen accept their help—and can it really make a difference? In most cases, it's simply not realistic to expect much progress when parents and teens try to tackle homework or remedial work together. Adolescents are usually too fractious, their self-esteem too fragile, and their relationship with parents too emotion-charged for parent and child to accomplish much as a team! Even the most nonjudgmental and diplomatic mom or dad is likely to meet with failure in this regard. Nevertheless, you need not stand idly by, watching your child struggle with course work. Instead, you can help by making sure your teen understands the concept of learning style and knows how his style can be tapped to assist his academic efforts. You can also lend a hand with
the selection of a course of study that best reflects your child's interests and abilities. School guidance counselors should be able to give you the background information you need to offer informed advice.
In the previous pages, you learned some general learning-style- based homework strategies. The following five sections, which cover the courses required of most eighth graders, suggest more specific learning strategies, as well as a number of multisensory techniques and materials, which draw upon both the sense needed for mastery of the subject matter and another sense—preferably, your child's favored sense. Review these suggestions with an eye towards selecting those that you feel would work best with your child's sensory preference. You're certain to find that use of appropriate strategies improves both your child's classroom performance and his overall confidence. As an added bonus, your child's behavior at home may also be more positive and productive once you and he begin working in harmony toward a common goal.