Your kid didn’t dissect her frog in Bio—and she bombed a few tests, too. Now she has to repeat the class. Help motivate her learning and ease her bummed-about-summer-school mood with these scholarly strategies.

Study the options.
Parent-teacher conferences and under-60 grades will give you fair warning that your child might not pass a class, so plan for summer study early. Find out about options in your district or community before the end of the school year if possible. Schedule everything else—camp, music lessons, your summer vacay—around impending classes.

Know the drill.
If your own school offers a summer program, so much the better. If not, learn the expectations of your child’s regular courses to ensure that the content, duration and grading of the summer school class will meet the requirements and help her achieve what she needs to succeed.

Calm her down.
Your kid is most likely embarrassed and angry that she has to repeat a course. help her see this as an opportunity—rather than a punishment—to correct poor choices and master difficult material during a less stressful time. And remind her she’ll be better prepared to thrive come the fall semester.

Tip: Discuss your child’s learning challenges with her teacher now, and come up with a doable plan to help her keep up next fall.

Source: Michele L. Ondersma, PhD, a clinical psychologist in Grosse Pointe Woods, MI