Q
My sixth-grade daughter did great on her first report card, but since then has been getting bad grades. Her teachers say that she understands the work, but that she just does everything too fast and that is hurting her grades. How do I get her to slow down and check her work?
A
The real problem here is finding out why your daughter is rushing through the work? Is it too easy for her? That's usually the problem, especially if it is fill-in-the-blanks work, which is very boring for good students. Or is she rushing to do something else in the classroom -- work on the computer, read, or talk with friends. Ask her and her teachers what she does and what the teacher permits after she is done with the work. Ask your daughter why she hurries through her assignments. Listen between the lines. Once you discover why she hurries through her work, you will know how to get her to do her work more thoroughly.