No matter how hard they learn your child may struggle at school at a certain point. As a parent, it is important to know that school struggles can take countless forms from peer problems to bad grades and other different issues. It is understandable that their struggle stresses you out, but it is advisable to not focus on the factors to blame but on the underlying causes.
Do not put your child the label that they have a learning difficulty before trying to understand why they struggle at school. In the majority of cases if your child has bad grades it means that they learn in a different way than the average child and they need to be taught according to their abilities and aptitudes.
Your ultimate goal should be to offer your child the educational support they need, and for doing this, you should avoid the following mistakes.
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Ask Generic Questions
The majority of parents ask their children how their day was when they arrive home. Your child will probably answer just “fine”, this is a standard answer both children and adults offer when this type of question is posed. They will avoid sharing with you if they have a problem.
What To Do?
Your “how was your day?” question should be followed by questions regarding the classes and school. The questions you are asking your child daily should have a different content according to the activities they are supposed to do during that day at the school.
If they had a test, you should ask them what they did, what grades they got at certain subjects and how they are interacting with their classmates. You should foster open communication with your kid to show them that they can share with you their difficulties without being afraid that you will have a negative reaction.
Make Assumptions
Most of times parents are not able to determine the underlying cause of their children’ struggles because they assume they already know them. Sometimes it is easier to assume that your child is not interested in a certain subject, they are not focusing on their schoolwork or they are resting, than wondering if this is a sign of a deeper problem.
What To Do?
In order to completely understand the situation, it is important to get to the root of the problem. You should first discuss with your child and find out why they do not perform at a certain subject. If they are having difficulties in learning a certain subject, you should also discuss with their teacher to find out if they are aware of the factors that are contributing to this problem.
If you can understand the underlying causes from the beginning, you will be able to confront them and fix them fast. Cluey Learning recommends assisting your child when doing their homework. In the majority of cases, bad grades can be enhanced with a little effort at home. If you do not have the needed knowledge to assist your child, doing their homework you can hire an expert primary tutor. Some private sessions can help your child achieve their learning goals.
Allow Your Child To Be Distracted While Learning
As an adult, you can work while listening to music or with the TV running in the background, but children do not have the same ability and if they are distracted by external factors they will spend more time to complete their homework. In the majority of cases, if they are bothered by external factors, they are not working at their full capacity and they will definitely experience struggles at school.
What To Do?
Your child needs a comfortable homework station where they can focus on their assignments. It is important for the station to meet their interest and needs, to fit their arm’s reach and to allow them to sit in a comfortable position. The workout station should be placed in a room where the household noise does not bother them and they can focus on the work they have to complete. When designing the workstation it is advisable to get your child involved in the project and customize it according to their preferences. If they will like the way the space looks they will be more than thrilled to use it.
Follow The Same Rules
Most parents do not know how to react when their children have learning difficulties or other problems related to school. They consider that if they will tighten the existing rules they will fix the problem. In the majority of cases, this is not the best strategy. Yes, it is important your child to have a routine and to follow certain rules, but it is also important to re-evaluate these rules and understand if they are effective at the present or they need to be customized.
What To Do?
When your child no longer performs when they are following the existing rules a solution is to bring some new rules to their routine. If they seem too tired to do their homework at night, you should ask them when they would prefer to complete them. It is important to know their opinion when you create a routine.
Keep in mind that as they grow they will start sharing individual opinions and preferences. During primary school children start to develop new skills and abilities, and according to them, they will grow opinions and preferences. Establish a routine that meets their preferences and learning skills, focus on their strengths.
All parents have to know that no one ever raised a child without having homework battles. During primary school, homework will always be a subject that leads to conflict. They will slowly learn to find it fascinating and fun, but it takes time, and patience and you have the role to find a structure that works for them.
Sometimes it is advisable to let them be frustrated that they are having a hard time at school and bad grades. Let them feel angry and sad. Do not have the misconception that you have done something wrong. They need to relieve their anger and they will come back to better terms.
If you are interested in even more lifestyle-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels, then we have a lot to choose from.
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