t's also likely that your child has developed poor study habits and organizational skills. Your child may struggle with his or her ability to concentrate for the extended periods of time necessary to complete assignments, study for tests and retain new information. Combined with a growing lack of confidence and the resulting apathy, these factors can create a downward spiral. Consider setting aside a dedicated workspace at home where you and your child can sit at the same time each day to help rebuild his or her approach to school work.
In order to help your child feel more confident, break down assignments and lessons into small, easily doable segments. For example, rather than asking your son or daughter to write a paper that's a large portion of his or her grade, help your child create an outline and work through the paper section by section by giving feedback on each part. Going from failing grades to a report card that your child can be proud of won't be an overnight process, so do your best to motivate, but also be positive and patient.