My child is suddenly struggling in high school. What should I do?

Q. My child suddenly started struggling in high school, after doing very well before that. I’m not sure what’s caused the drop in grades. But college isn’t that far off, and I don’t know what to do. 

A. This situation may be new to your family, but it isn’t uncommon. In high school, some students who have previously earned good grades find that the work is not as easy as it used to be. They struggle to keep up with reading assignments, homework, and tests for multiple classes.

Other students start struggling later, when they’re no longer living at home with parents. Their difficulties grow rapidly when they enter the less-structured world of college.

When grades drop rapidly, parents often wonder whether they should maintain high expectations and push their child to do better. Or would a different approach help their child get back on track? That question is hard to answer without knowing what’s causing the sudden difficulties.

When grades drop significantly, it’s important to try to get help from the student to figure out possible causes. Here are some things you might talk over with your child:

• Could the problem be due to a chronic lack of sleep?

• Is your child spread too thin with clubs, sports teams, or excessive amounts of time hanging out with friends?

• Are your child’s classes either too boring or too challenging?

• Is your child using opportunities to get help in classes that are a struggle, whether it’s from teachers and instructors or classmates?

• Is your child struggling with anxiety or depression?

When students start struggling in college, I also recommend that parents ask if their child is uncomfortable with roommates or dormitory life. Is their child worried too much about how the family is getting along without them at home?

Lastly, you didn’t mention if your child has ADHD. But that may be something else to consider.

Kids who are hyperactive or have behavioral problems tend to stand out. They’re usually recognized in elementary or middle school as needing an evaluation for ADHD. It’s different with students who are not hyperactive and who have had high grades. They often are not considered as possibly having ADHD.

ADHD isn’t just a problem with paying attention. People also struggle with:

• Getting organized

• Prioritizing tasks

• Getting started

• Staying focused

• Using short-term working memory

• Managing emotions

Whatever the reasons might be for a student suddenly struggling to do well in high school or college, there are strategies that can help. Here are five you can share with your child:

Sitting and listening to lessons or lectures often isn’t enough. It can help to take brief but adequate notes on information likely to appear on tests or to help in understanding the readings. Don’t write down every word spoken. Note key terms, ideas, and examples to help recall what’s important to remember.

Buy or create a planner that displays columns for each day, with sections in each column for each class. If used regularly, this can help your child keep an overview of all assignments and upcoming quizzes, papers, or tests for each course over each week.

If kids own their own textbooks, they can underline important statements and circle important facts or terms as they read. If not, they can scan important pages or sections and then mark them to review later.

Get three or four classmates together and come up with a plan to work as a group and support each other. It could be as simple as taking turns making notecards for the group on a particular topic and quizzing each other. It’s important for each member to be responsible for helping other members of the group.

It can be hard for students who are used to doing well to ask the teacher or instructor for help. But teachers and professors are usually more than willing to go over material. They might also recommend ways to prepare for an upcoming test or assignment.

If you and your child aren’t able to work together to identify causes for the decline in grades, it might be helpful to look at getting outside help. You can start with the counseling service at school or see an independent counselor or psychologist. Understanding the reasons is the key to getting support.