What to do if your child is struggling to make progress at school
Most children I have ever taught are equally eager to do well.
For some however, this is not the reality.
Some children will naturally do well despite the odds, while others in turn will not do so well even with the best efforts of the school and their teachers.
There will be several reasons for this.
However , whatever the cause there is usually a solution that can get your child learning and achieving well in school.
Below are a few tips based on years of experience in the classroom.
Reasons why children make poor progress in school.
Why do children struggle in school?
Here are some of the reasons why children do poorly in school.
1. Lack of motivation
2. Poor behaviour
3. Lack of understanding
4. Special educational needs
5. Poor behaviour management
As a parent, if you are frustrated that your child is not making the expected progress in school, there
are many solutions and resources that are available to you.
The above reasons are largely related and interconnected but I will highlight them separately since they
can sometimes be identified as separate issues surrounding poor performance and lack of progress in school.
Lack of motivation
Children will mostly need to be motivated in order to do well in their school work.
Lack of motivation can come from either poorly planned and executed lessons or from struggles with
conflicts - inside or outside of the classroom- such as bullying , abuse etc.
Poor behaviour
Poor behaviour can often spill over into lessons and prevent the expected learning and progress to take
place.
Usually, poor behaviour can be traced back to other underlining problems;
Peer influence or peer pressure, poor behaviour management, family situations i.e break ups,
bereavements, illnesses, abuse or lack of proper parental supervision.
Poor behaviour can also arise when the child is struggling to cope with the work in class either because
of lack of understanding or the work is lacking in challenge.
Not understanding the work
A lack of understanding of what is required to complete tasks, is quite often a huge factor in poor
performance.
This can stem from several reasons.
It could be that the work is too difficult and therefore not pitched to the appropriate level of the child
or has not been explained properly.
It could also be because of special difficulties or learning needs that have not been diagnosed or have
not been catered to.
Special educational needs
The reason for the children struggling in school is sometimes due to conditions that have not been
diagnosed. Special educational needs appear in many different forms. Children who have displayed
obvious signs will usually have a diagnosis and of such will usually be able to get some form of
assistance in school.
Sadly, not all special needs will be immediately obvious, and for these students there will always be
problems making appropriate progress
Here is what you can do if you find that your child is not making the expected levels of progress.
1. Talk to the teacher
If you feel that your child is not making enough progress, then the first thing you may want to do is to
reach out and speak with the child's teacher or teachers.
Although teachers are expected to reach out to parents especially when children are not
progressing as expected, this can be an arduous task mainly because of the volume of work, the
number of students and the time constraints for the teacher especially in schools where
teachers have class sizes of circa thirty or more students and up to six classes.
Regardless of whether you contacted the school or the school has contacted you about your child's
lack of progress, what you do next could have a lasting impact for your child's success.
Your child's teacher will be able to discuss strategies to help him/her move forward.
2. Have a conversation with your child
It's very important to have a conversation with your child regarding what was discussed, and
the plans you have to move forward.
While its important to listen and give your support, keep an open mind to the fact that
children can often present very differently at school from who they are at home.
This may mean that in some scenarios a child may dispute or reject the concerns from their
teachers and may consequently deny any fault that may be of their own making.
3. Put the right intervention in place
In order to help your child to improve and begin to make progress, you need to be willing to address
the issues identified for the lack of progress, by putting the necessary interventions in place.
Deciding what is 'necessary' will depend on the causes identified.
Problems in school should be addressed by the school and the child's teachers, but your support as a
parent will be vital to the school's interventions being successful.
If the issues identified require other support, then ensure that you have enough information in order to
seek the necessary interventions.
Schools , especially in more developed countries are usually quite resourceful in helping families
to identify and put in place the right support for their children.
Local Education departments or other entities responsible for schools and education, are also usually
able to make suggestions as to a way forward for parents who need that support. However, you may
want to contact the school in the first instance.
Whether it be school intervention, counselling, or referral to have formal tests in order to
identify any learning needs, your efforts will make a big difference to the outcomes for your child.
4. Instil home learning
Home learning is an important extension of formal schooling.
It not only helps to reinforce and extend what is taught in school but is also a great tool to help in
fostering good study skills and positive attitudes to learning.
Most schools will usually give homework but it is also good to create a broader learning environment
that allows for exploration beyond the limitations of the classroom.
5. Follow up
Always remember to follow up on any measures that have been put in place.
Your child will be better motivated knowing that you are showing interest and also that you will be
made aware of any instances where they are not performing as expected.
Studies show that children who are successful in school and beyond usually have a good support
system in the home.
Links
Here are useful tips and links to some websites that will help with study resources , tips and ideas to help your children progress well in school.
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