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Classful

You probably never met a parent who doesn’t want their child to be a straight-A, honor-roll student.

Parents love it when their children achieve academically and in extracurricular activities at school. It gives them a sense of pride and makes them feel they are parenting right. This is why seeing your child struggle in school can evoke emotions, particularly if their performance steadily declines.

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Common Reasons Children Struggle in School

You may feel disappointment, guilt, shame, or even inadequacy as a parent. However, there is a list of reasons children struggle academically at any grade level, which may not be linked to their parenting skills. Some of them are:

  • The classroom environment
  • Learning disabilities
  • Stress from the home environment
  • Problems, e.g., bullying in school
  • An inherent dislike for school
  • Vision problems, e.g., nearsightedness
  • Level of difficulty in the course material
  • Trouble focusing, e.g., due to ADHD

Ways to Figure Out Why Your Child has Academic Challenges

Although you may be eager to help your child improve his or her performance at school, you may not know how to approach the issue. The first and foremost thing to do is to learn why your child has educational struggles. This can help you develop the best solutions based on your child’s needs.

Here are four important tips to help you get started:

1. Talk With Your Child

Starting an open and honest conversation with your child can reveal lots of information that may help you figure out the underlying reason. Allow your child to speak while you listen actively in a supportive and non-judgmental fashion. Perhaps the struggle is tied to one particular subject/course, or the poor performance may be across the board. Feel free to make notes and ask your child probing questions to get to the bottom of the situation.

Find out if your child thinks the problem is with the teacher, students, coursework, peers, problems at home, or failure to do homework.

2. Assess the Difficulty Level of the Course Material

Course material inappropriate for the grade level is one main reason students become disinterested in a subject or school. Sometimes, a student may even give up on learning when the schoolwork is too challenging.

Examine your child’s course material and textbooks to determine if this is the root problem. Sometimes, students may need an introductory course to prepare for the main learning materials. The school may also give or recommend additional resources to help simplify the school work.

3. Meet With the School Teacher

Once you have a good idea from your daughter as to why she is performing poorly, you can schedule a meeting with his teacher to address your concerns. It may be a good idea to speak with the principal if necessary to iron out problems that fall within the scope of the school’s administrative department.

For example, you can request a referral for academic evaluation. The evaluation assesses your child’s strengths and weaknesses and identifies any learning disabilities or obstacles.

4. Request a Pediatric Evaluation

Some students have learning challenges due to biological, physiological, mental, or behavioral factors. Your child’s pediatrician can do a thorough medical evaluation to look for signs of learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder (ADHD). Hearing and vision tests can also identify vision problems such as nearsightedness or lazy eye. These are all common problems that affect school-aged children and can affect their academic performance.

For example, poor vision due to nearsightedness can cause headaches and prevent your son from seeing what is written on the chalkboard. Your child’s doctor may refer you to a specialist for further evaluation and/or treatment.

The Takeaway

Any child could have problems learning or adapting to the school environment. Assure the child that he’s not in trouble but that you are only trying to help him overcome the hurdles. The sooner you identify the underlying reasons, the sooner you can take the necessary steps to help your child get back on track. You may also enlist the help of a private tutor to accelerate the process.

With the right support, your child can adjust and overcome this phase.