As a parent, you know your child is smart. They were an early reader, scored highly on aptitude tests, and grasped concepts quickly. So why don’t their grades reflect this level of intelligence? There are a variety of reasons that smart kids can sometimes earn poor grades, and none of them have anything to do with their ability level. 

Why do smart kids get poor grades?

1. They’re bored. Often, smart kids get poor grades because they’re simply not interested in what they’re learning in school. If your first grader is reading and comprehending on a third grade level, they may be bored by the phonics instruction and assignments in their classroom. If they are advanced in math, they may be bored by basic computation instruction and rush through their work, and their grades may reflect this. If boredom seems to be an issue for your child, check in with the teacher to see what options are available.
2. They have a slow processing speed. Even if your child is highly intelligent, they may have a slower processing speed, meaning that it takes them longer to answer questions and grasp concepts. Many standardized tests in reading and math are timed, so speed matters. If this is an issue for your student, consider asking the teacher if your child can have a testing accommodation allowing for extra time. If the teacher agrees, this can go to a larger school committee to become an official accommodation that travels with your child year after year. After all, they know the material!
3. They have test anxiety. Many smart kids struggle with test and performance anxiety, so their scores on standardized tests often do not reflect their true abilities or knowledge. This anxiety can worsen as children get older and as the tests hold more weight (think ACT or SAT), so you and your child should consider working with the school counselor or a therapist to learn some coping strategies to help with this. Practice tests, if available, can also help lower test anxiety. Check out our test prep resources for more options! 
4. They struggle with executive functioning skills. Smart kids can sometimes be pretty disorganized—think of the image of the nutty professor who is a genius but scattered! Your child may have so much going on in their brain that they struggle with executive functioning skills like time management and organization. If you notice this in your child, you can work with them by having a specific location for homework at home, teaching them how to use a planner or calendar, and helping them with an organizational strategy for notebooks and textbooks. We’ve got our own planner to help with this process. 
5. They’re overscheduled. Sometimes bad grades are an issue of effort rather than ability. For middle and high school students in particular, they may be earning poor grades because they don’t have time to complete the assignments. Many high achieving students take multiple advanced classes and join a number of extracurricular activities, leaving very little time for homework. If you suspect this is the issue with your child, have a conversation with them about cutting some of the activities and making more space in the calendar for homework (and rest!). 

Talking Points

Talking to your kids about poor grades can be a delicate balancing act. On one hand, you know they’re capable of more, but on the other hand, you don’t want to put undue pressure on them or increase any anxiety that they already have. That’s why we’ve compiled some talking points to get the conversation started in a gentle and supportive manner. 

• “I noticed that your test scores aren’t as high as I thought they would be, especially since you find this subject easy at home. What goes on for you when you’re taking tests? Is it difficult for you to finish them in the time you have?”
• “You seem really tired from all of your extracurricular activities, and I’ve noticed your grades have dropped. Do you think your busy schedule has anything to do with that? If so, let’s make a plan to free up some time so you can get the study and rest time you need.”
• “I noticed that all of your test scores and project scores were really high, but you got low marks for things like homework completion or note-taking, which dropped your grades. Let’s buy a planner and talk about some strategies for staying organized at school and at home.”