Strategies for Academic Success

Short answer: Academic success looks different for every child, but five strategies help almost any student improve: one-on-one tutoring that teaches the way they learn, starting exam prep early, a clear note-taking system such as Cornell notes, breaking hard skills into small steps, and setting SMART goals they can track.

Regardless of assessment scores or grades, a child who is actively engaged in their learning, being challenged to meet appropriate learning goals, and putting forth an effort to improve will be successful in academics and life.

Key points

• Success is individual: Grades and test scores alone don’t show how engaged or challenged a child is.
• Tutoring closes gaps: One-on-one help can stay on a concept until your child masters it.
• Start studying early: Cramming doesn’t work, and sleep and breaks help retention.
• Use Cornell notes: A title, keyword and notes columns, and a summary make review easier.
• Build one skill at a time: Find the exact step that trips your child up and practice it.
• Set SMART goals: Specific, measurable goals teach a growth mindset.

What does academic success look like?

Academic success often measures a student’s performance on standardized tests and report cards. However, this view doesn’t consider the individuality of each student.

Many gifted children excel on standardized tests and easily achieve all A’s on their report cards despite being unmotivated and disengaged in their courses.

Other children are among the one in five with brain-based learning differences and may be unable to master certain academic skills independently despite hours of effort.

To complicate the picture even more, around 6% of children are twice-exceptional, meaning they are intellectually gifted and have learning challenges such as ADHD, autism, or dyslexia. These children frequently have asynchronous development and can be years ahead in one subject but below grade level in another.

Academic success looks different for every child and every subject.

What strategies help students achieve academic success?

No matter your child’s current level of academic achievement, there are ways you can help them improve. Teaching your child academic success tips, providing extra help when needed, and making sure they’re being challenged will help every child thrive and learn.

1. How do tutoring programs help students succeed?

Many children struggle because of the disconnect between how they learn and how they’re taught. Teachers must take the most efficient teaching approach with a roomful of students, which isn’t always the best way to teach your child.

Tutoring programs can close this gap by teaching your child how they learn best. Children thrive with individual attention.

Tutors don’t have to move on because of a set syllabus. They can stay with a concept, teaching it with different resources and scaffolding instruction until your child masters it. It’s much harder for a child to get distracted or tune out in a one-on-one setting.

Tutoring is also ideal for children who aren’t challenged in school. A tutor can provide the intellectual stimulation they need to learn at their level and can move at your child’s pace, no matter how fast or slow.

2. How should students prepare for exams?

Many kids sail through elementary and even middle school but start floundering when they get to high school and have to take cumulative exams. Learning how to study for tests is an important skill that will serve your child through high school, college, and beyond.

However, studying is an executive function skill that can be difficult to master without explicit instruction. Here’s what to teach your child:

1. Start early. The most important thing you can teach your child about studying is to start early. Cramming doesn’t work and can lead to worse performance if your child is sleep-deprived.
2. Sleep and take breaks. Ensure your child gets enough sleep every night, not just before tests. And when they’re studying, make sure they take enough mental breaks, which has been shown to increase retention.
3. Ask what will be covered. The best strategy is to ask the teacher directly what will be covered on the exam. If the teacher provides a study guide, that’s an excellent starting point.
4. Review the class material. If there’s no study guide, your child can study all the quizzes, homework, and classwork the teacher covered.
5. Fix every missed question. Make sure they understand any questions they missed so they won’t make the same mistake again.

Studying doesn’t have to be drudgery and can be more effective if it’s enjoyable. Encourage your child to study with a friend and make a game out of reviewing flashcards to drill important concepts.

Tutor tip: For math and science tests, studying means working problems, not rereading notes. Our step-by-step guide on how to study for math shows how to practice like it’s the real exam.

3. What note-taking strategy works best?

Students know they should take notes but don’t always know how. They often try to write down everything the teacher says, making it hard to pay attention and leaving them with disjointed thoughts.

The Cornell note-taking system is an effective, easy-to-learn strategy that will simplify studying for exams. Have your student divide their paper into four sections:

• One horizontal block at the top of the page (title)
• Two vertical columns with a larger section on the right (keywords on the left, notes on the right)
• One horizontal block at the bottom of the page (summary of the lesson)

Filling in these blocks will help your child organize their notes and remember important points. Encourage your child to review their notes daily to help them retain the information.

4. How do skill-building activities help a struggling student?

When your child has trouble learning something, try breaking it into smaller steps and working on one skill until it’s mastered. For instance, if they have trouble adding fractions with unlike denominators, work through the problem until you find the step causing them to stumble.

Stop there and have them practice that skill until they get the hang of it. Then, repeat the process with the next skill they need to work on. Working with a tutor is a great way to uncover skill gaps and master them.

“You never learn to search for what the problem is. Error analysis is very important for growth.”

Jake Gerhardt, Alexander Tutoring math tutor

5. How does academic goal setting help?

Setting goals is one of the most effective ways to teach your child a growth mindset. Teach them to use the SMART template by choosing goals that are:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Realistic
• Time-bound

In the beginning, you’ll probably need to help a lot, both with choosing the goal and following up with progress. Eventually, your child can take over the process, including writing meaningful learning goals they’re motivated to work toward.

Tutor tip: Make the first goal small and measurable, such as finishing five practice problems each school night for two weeks. Checking it off together builds the habit before the goals get bigger.

How can online tutoring help shape a successful student?

Online tutoring can help improve student engagement and academic achievement. The staff at your child’s school don’t always have the opportunity to work with them after classes.

At Alexander Tutoring, we work at your child’s pace, helping them learn to use academic success strategies to take charge of their education and overcome obstacles.

Frequently asked questions