Why GOOD KIDS Get Bad Grades: What Parents Need to Know and Do!

As a parent, if your child is struggling academically, it’s natural to feel worried or frustrated. But your most important role is to discover what’s really going on with your child—instead of focusing only on the grade itself. Rather than punishing or lecturing, first identify the nature of your child’s unique challenges—and then work with them to find solutions for those challenges.

No child wants to do poorly in school. In this book, you’ll find information about obstacles your child may be facing — including real case studies that will seem familiar. Most importantly, though, you’ll find practical strategies to help your child develop new skills, jumpstart their learning, boost their self-esteem, and increase their self-confidence.

Foreword

I met Dr. Linda Silbert at the very start of my career as a developmental pediatrician. Even then, it was evident that she possessed a unique blend of expertise, clinical insight, and an intuitive grasp of the challenges faced by children struggling in school. Over the years, I grew to deeply appreciate her judgment. I regularly referred children from my practice—often those I was seeing initially for behavioral issues—who, as she explains in this book, showed behaviors that resulted from, rather than caused by, underlying learning disorders.

Every family I referred to her returned profoundly grateful. Without exception, she was able to identify the underlying issues impacting a child’s learning, bring clarity to overwhelmed parents, and offer practical, compassionate strategies that truly made a difference. Her talent for translating complex learning profiles into clear, actionable guidance has always set her apart—a skill she brings to this remarkable book once again.

Through her previous books, co-authored with her equally knowledgeable husband Alvin Silbert, and now this extraordinary new work, I have come to appreciate the true value of their insights. Their wisdom draws from their extensive professional experience and from the tools they've developed and shared with clients over the years. In this book, these tools are now accessible to a much wider audience, at a time when they are needed more than ever.

Children today face pressures that were unimaginable just a generation ago. The constant presence of social media, shifting dynamics of attention and self-esteem, and the lingering developmental impact of COVID-19 all converge to create challenges that are both unprecedented and profound.

In Part I, the Silberts excel at describing these challenges, helping readers understand why so many children struggle, and offering concrete, compassionate, and evidence-based pathways forward. These relatable accounts will resonate with parents and professionals alike, serving as powerful illustrations of how insight and support can transform a child’s school experience.

In Part II, building on years of experience and the latest educational research, the Silberts present a wealth of practical, effective strategies to strengthen time management, study skills, organization, and planning—skills more essential than ever.

Having spent decades working with children with developmental and learning differences, this book is both timely and essential. It brings clarity to an increasingly complex landscape and equips families with the understanding and confidence they need to help their children thrive. Above all, it keeps the child—their struggles, strengths, and immense potential—at the heart of every chapter.

For educators, clinicians, and families, this book offers clear guidance in confusing times and brings hope to a subject that can often feel overwhelming. Crucially, it never loses sight of the child at the center of the struggle. The wisdom within these pages has already changed many lives—and I am confident it will continue to do so for years to come.

Jennifer Cross, MD, Developmental Pediatrician