Helping Struggling Students: Tools and Resources for Teachers

Some learners fall behind, and not all of them will ask for help. This guide is for teachers who want to find these learners early and support them. It covers ways to identify struggling students and four approaches to help them: personalized learning, learning support programs, technology, and positive reinforcement. It ends with how to build a classroom where asking for help feels safe.

On this page 5 sections

How to identify struggling students

You have to know who is struggling before you can help. Some students ask for help openly. Others try to hide their difficulties. Using several sources of information together gives you a clearer picture than any one source alone.

Useful tools for spotting struggling students include:

• Standardized tests, which show how a student performs against expected standards
• Classroom observations, which show how a student works, participates, and copes day to day
• Assessments and quizzes, which show which specific lessons or skills are giving trouble
• Grades and attendance records, which can show a drop in performance or frequent absences

Ways to support struggling students

Once you know which students need help, these four approaches can support them.

1. Personalized learning

Personalized learning shapes instruction around each student’s needs. Start by finding the student’s strengths and weaknesses. Then make a learning plan that targets the areas that need improvement.

The original version of this article cited a RAND Corporation study. It reported that students in personalized learning classrooms made greater gains in mathematics and reading than students in traditional classrooms.

2. Learning support programs

Learning support programs give students extra instruction and support to improve their academic performance. Two common examples:

• Tutoring: one-on-one instruction that lets a student focus on the exact areas where they need more help.
• After-school programs: a safe, supportive setting where students can get both academic and emotional support.

3. Technology

Educational apps and software can let students learn at their own pace and give them extra practice and support. One example is adaptive learning software. It changes the difficulty of questions based on how the student is doing. Students are not overwhelmed by questions that are too hard, and they are not bored by questions that are too easy.

4. Positive reinforcement

Positive reinforcement means giving praise and rewards when students show positive behavior or make progress. It can raise motivation and engagement. The original article cited a study in the Journal of Educational Psychology. It found that students praised or rewarded for their academic performance showed more motivation and effort than students who were not.

Building a supportive classroom

Tools work best when the classroom itself supports struggling learners. Keep these points in mind:

• Every student is different. What works for one learner may not work for another. Be flexible and willing to try different strategies until you find what works.
• Make it safe to ask for help. Students should not feel ashamed or labeled for struggling.
• Promote a growth mindset. Put more weight on effort and improvement than on grades and test scores alone.
• Give emotional support. Struggling academically can be discouraging, so encouragement matters as much as extra lessons.

Summary

Step	What to do
Identify	Use tests, observations, quizzes, grades, and attendance records
Personalize	Build a learning plan around each student’s strengths and weaknesses
Add support	Offer tutoring or after-school programs
Use technology	Try apps and adaptive software that match the student’s pace
Encourage	Praise and reward effort and progress
Create a safe space	Value improvement, avoid stigma, and give emotional support

With the right support and a caring classroom, struggling students can overcome their difficulties and reach their academic and personal goals.

Frequently asked questions