Student Spotlight: How Targeted Academic Coaching Transformed a Struggling 2nd Grader

Here at The Learning Room, we believe in celebrating student success — big wins, small wins, and every “click” moment in between. In our Student Spotlight series, we highlight real students, real struggles, and the real growth that happens when a child receives the right kind of support.

This month, we’re celebrating Solomon, a bright and curious child whose story shows exactly what can happen when foundational gaps are identified early and addressed with structured, individualized intervention.

How Solomon’s Parents First Knew Something Was Wrong

When Solomon was in 2nd grade, his parents started noticing small signs that didn’t feel quite right. They couldn’t pinpoint the problem, but they sensed he was working much harder than he should have been. Homework that should have taken 10–15 minutes turned into long, emotional battles. Reading at home felt unpredictable — some days he did okay, and other days everything fell apart.

These early clues are extremely common in struggling learners, and Solomon’s experience is a perfect example of how these issues show up.

Reading Red Flags Solomon Showed

• Guessing at words instead of decoding

• Skipping sounds or whole chunks of words

• Mixing up long vowel sounds

• Slow, effortful reading

• Avoiding reading or melting down during homework

Why this mattered for Solomon: Solomon was using guessing strategies instead of phonics-based decoding, which made grade-level text feel impossible. His parents described him as being able to “read some words, but nothing new,” which is a classic sign of missing long vowel and vowel team foundations. As texts became more complex in 2nd grade, Solomon simply didn’t have the tools he needed.

Spelling Red Flags Solomon Experienced

• Spelling the same word differently each time

• Leaving out vowel sounds

• Writing only the first or last part of a word

• Struggling with sight words his peers had mastered

Why this mattered for Solomon: His inconsistent spelling told us exactly what phonics patterns were missing. If a child can read but not spell a word, they haven’t internalized the phonics rules. Solomon’s spelling was a clear window into his gaps — and it helped us build a targeted plan.

Math Red Flags Solomon Displayed

• Confusion with place value

• Exhaustion from basic addition or subtraction

• Struggling with regrouping (“borrowing”/“carrying”)

• Forgetting steps or procedures

• Writing answers that didn’t make sense numerically

Why this mattered for Solomon: Without a strong foundation in place value, Solomon couldn’t make sense of multi-digit numbers or regrouping. His parents often said, “He understood it yesterday, but today he doesn’t,” which is a sign of rote memorization rather than true understanding of the concept.

Homework + Emotional Red Flags His Family Saw

• Tears or shutdowns during homework

• Saying “I’m dumb,” “I can’t,” or “I hate this”

• Rushing through work or giving up quickly

• Avoiding subjects that felt too hard

Why this mattered for Solomon: These emotional responses showed us he wasn’t lacking ability — he was overwhelmed. The effort required to complete basic tasks was so high that his confidence began to fade. Solomon associated reading with failure, not because of who he was, but because the missing skills made every task feel like climbing a mountain.

Teacher Feedback That Confirmed the Concerns

• Inconsistent decoding and accuracy

• Difficulty keeping pace with classmates

• Slow progress despite school-based intervention

• Early discussions about possible retention

Why this mattered for Solomon: His teacher recognized that the classroom supports weren’t enough. When foundational gaps are deep or specific, whole-group instruction simply can’t repair them. Solomon needed targeted, individualized teaching — and that’s where The Learning Room came in.

Enter The Learning Room

Solomon began working with Geena, one of our academic coaches, for 2 hours per week. From day one, our goal was not just to help him “catch up,” but to rebuild the foundational skills keeping him stuck.

A comprehensive assessment revealed precisely what we suspected:

• In reading, Solomon was missing key long vowel and vowel team knowledge.

• In math, he needed structured support with number sense and place value.

This assessment gave us the roadmap we needed.

What We Did (and Why It Worked)

Reading Intervention

Geena used a structured literacy approach, moving Solomon through a clear, sequential progression:

1. Long vowel patterns in isolation

2. Words and phrases

3. Controlled sentences

4. Short paragraphs

5. Decodable books and grade-level texts

As soon as Solomon mastered a pattern, he could immediately apply it in school. His spelling improved, his accuracy increased, and his confidence returned.

Math Intervention

Math instruction focused on rebuilding the foundation:

• Strengthening number sense

• Deepening place-value understanding

• Practicing regrouping step-by-step

• Applying place value to multiplication and arrays

Once Solomon truly understood tens and ones, everything else clicked rapidly.

The Outcome: Real Growth, Real Confidence, Real Success

After 11 months:

• 2 years of reading growth

• 1.5 years of math growth

• Fully on grade level as a 3rd grader

• No Retention Needed!

• Confident, capable, and proud

• Graduated from services!

Solomon’s story is a reminder that struggling in school is not permanent — not with the right plan.

Your Child’s Story Can Be Next

Every child’s path is different, but meaningful progress is possible when instruction is individualized, consistent, and designed to close foundational gaps.

If your child is showing signs like Solomon did — or if something just feels “off” — trust your instincts.

We’re here to help you understand what’s going on and build a plan that works.

👉 Contact The Learning Room to schedule an assessment. Where struggling students become confident learners.