Don’t Wait for an Academic 9-1-1: Five Reasons to Get Support Early
Why Getting Academic Support Early Is Vital for Student Success
Simply waiting to address academic emergencies when they appear rather than supporting students before academic challenges reach a crisis point makes addressing problems much more difficult. It also makes it tough to find expert help when you need it most.
Meet JT
A few years ago, the parents of an 8th-grader, JT, contacted SOS4Students late in the school year because he was having difficulties getting work started, forgetting to turn it in, and submitting incomplete assignments—especially where writing was concerned. With his transition to high school just months away, his parents asked to be put on our waitlist for coaching support in the fall.
By the end of summer, however, JT had convinced his parents all he needed was a “fresh start” in 9th grade. He could do it himself. So in August when a space in our school year coaching calendar opened up, his parents declined.
“We’re going to let him try this on his own and see how it goes,” I remember his mother telling me on the phone, with a sigh. “We’ll reach out later in the semester for support if we need it . . . and I’m sure we will.
Fast forward to the end of the first quarter when progress reports came out and it was evident that JT was still struggling. Of course, the even bigger problem for JT was that we no longer had an opening in our coaching schedule for him!
Seek Support Proactively
SOS4Students always see an uptick in panicked parent phone calls after progress reports. Unfortunately, when we get the calls in the middle of a quarter or later in the term, families often have to wait for an opening to get coaching support.
Finding capacity to support students like JT is not unique to SOS4Students. There is high demand these days for academic coaches, tutors, reading specialists, neuropsychologists, and other education services. Finding professionals with availability these days is difficult, especially at the 11th hour when there is already a heap of work missing, grades are suffering and anxiety at home is high.
Five Reasons to Get Academic Support Early
- Students (especially younger ones) don’t necessarily know when or even if they need help. Their executive functioning is a work in progress. Parents should make the call.
- Don’t wait for poor grades before seeking help. Work proactively. Get skills in place and give your student a partner for support. Parents should take themselves out of the running for this role.
- Coaches and tutors can check to see if strategies are working, accommodations are being used and troubleshoot with students in advance.
- Education specialists are experts in helping students plan, learn how to study, and handle multi-step projects BEFORE issues arise.
- Hiring an education professional can help parent-student relationships. Doing so keeps parents out of the nudge role, defuses tension in the house, and allows students to move towards greater independence (which is the goal!).
SOS4Students Can Help
SOS4Students is here to support students and families. If you have questions about coaching, workshops, or other ways we can help, please call us at (510) 531-4767 or .