While a poor school report is the classic symptom that all is not well with your child in the classroom, there are other signs to watch out for. Should you pick up on any of these then your first port of call should be the school’s teaching staff. Ideally they would be able to provide some more insight along with good suggestions on how you can help. Also, the school’s guidance counselor can be an excellent resource too.
Sometimes its not always clear what lies at the root of your child’s difficulties in school – it can be as difficult as your child’s learning style not being adequately catered for to as simple as sitting close to distracting classmates.
Warning signs
However, it might be time to take action if your child:
- Seems to work hard, but still receives mediocre grades.
- Takes a surprisingly long time to finish what seems like a basic homework assignments
- Despairs that they will never do well in school.
- Gets easily distracted when trying to focus on homework and makes excuses about why it isn’t getting done.
- Frequently expresses frustration with particular teachers or subjects.
- Gets angry with you when you try to explain something they don’t understand.
- Starts to say they hate school and don’t see the point of doing well.
- Might be an advanced learner who is bored with classes and needs more challenging work to stay focused.
- Appears stressed and anxious about scoring well on tests, which could trigger difficulties at school or at home.
How to get help
If you see your child struggling, take action.
- Talk with your child
- Remember that your child’s teacher and school guidance counselor are trained to address this type of situation.
- Make an appointment with one or both of them.
- Tell them your concerns and see what their perspective is.
- Reach out for help; find a tutor or a tutoring center in your area who can work with your child one-on-one.
