Here are a few things to keep an eye on so you can prevent the dreaded Second Quarter Slide.
Here’s a quick definition:
Second Quarter Slide (n.): a phenomenon in which a student’s average drops from five to ten points after a productive first quarter.
For many students, the start of the school year is a great time in which students are focused and ready to perform. However, after the first quarter, many students become lax and don’t work as hard as they did during the first quarter. The grade drop then refocuses students in the third quarter, who rebound by working even harder to get their grades up to where they were the first quarter.
Unfortunately, the Second Quarter Slide is a real thing that has happened to students for generations. You can easily tell if your child has suffered from this by checking old report cards. If you notice any dips in grades during the second quarter, then your child will most likely repeat this pattern unless you intervene. You can also look out for a few things so you can keep your children on track:
- “I don’t have any homework.” Chances are the workload will be the same as the first quarter, if not a little harder. So, students who say they don’t have any work are probably lying.
- Missing homework. Want to derail a quarter average? Miss homework regularly. For most teachers, homework counts for 10-20% of a student’s grade. If a student is not doing homework, his or her grades will slide.
- Work is being done, but the effort is far less apparent. As the school year progresses, the workload should be getting harder, not easier. If you notice less effort being put in, be wary, especially in subjects that have midterms.
- The first test of the second quarter is markedly lower than the first quarter average. Be on the lookout because you don’t want this to become a pattern.
Since many classes have midterms, the Second Quarter Slide can really be disastrous. Not only will the overall second quarter average suffer, but the stress level of all involved goes up. Keeping an eye out for potential drops in grades can avoid this and help keep children motivated.