Dear Teachers Q & A

How to Help a Struggling Learner at Home

            Parents: Almost all children will run into a time when they struggle academically in school. Unfortunately, the longer it goes on, the more students feel discouraged and don’t see how they can catch up. If your child is in this situation, it is a time for empathy—not anger. Your children may not talk with you about the fact that they are struggling in school. However, here are some signs that indicate school struggles: drop in grades, teacher’s input, change in attitude toward school and lack of sleep or eating.

Why children struggle with learning and may be falling behind

            One of the main reasons children struggle in school, whether it is briefly in one subject or in almost every subject, is that there are holes in their learning. For example, in the early grades beginning readers may not have learned how to blend sounds, or in math they may not be able to easily recall basic facts. Here are some other reasons children may be struggling in school:

• Too many outside activities may be limiting time for homework or sleep.
• Poor study habits.
• Boredom with a subject like math, science or social studies.
• Not doing their homework.
• Not paying attention in class.
• Weak organizational skills.
• Learning disability.

What to do when your children struggle academically

            The very first step is to talk with your children’s teacher or teachers. These are the individuals who should have a good understanding of why a child is struggling. They see what the child is doing every day in the classroom. And, hopefully, they know how things can be turned around for the child. On the serious side, teachers can also communicate whether they see the struggling child as one with a learning disability that will require testing and possibly an individual education program (IEP) to help the child’s learning struggles.

            Once you and the teacher or teachers have identified what a struggling child’s problem or problems are, it is time to work together on solutions. Will classroom modifications such as a new seat away from distractions help? Does the school have before- or after-school programs to improve academic skills? Is a tutor or learning center the answer? Is extra practice the answer? Be sure to discuss what the role of the teacher(s), school and parents will be in this turnaround.

The areas where parents can help struggling learners

          Parents can play a big role in helping their struggling children.

Homework help may be all that is needed

• Begin by supervising homework until you are confident that your child is capable of handling it solo.
• Make sure kids are doing all their homework. Check their homework each night. (Assignments might be online for you to see.) Are the assignments complete? See that assignments are done carefully—not haphazardly.
• Have them do their homework in an area where you can watch them work. Make sure kids have limited distractions in this area.
• Give them brain breaks, so they are refreshed and ready to move onto another assignment.
• Check that your children know how to organize their homework. If not, sit with them and teach them how to organize the order in which they do assignments. This includes putting it in folders to return to school, as well as placing it in their backpacks that should be in a spot where they can easily be grabbed each day.
• If necessary, help children with their homework. If you can’t work together smoothly or don’t have the time, consider having another family member provide this help or an older neighborhood child or relative.

Preparing for quizzes and tests is important for struggling students

• You need to know when quizzes and tests are scheduled, so preparation can begin before the night before an exam.
• Use study guides and end-of-the-chapter questions to hold a study session with your struggling learner until the child learns how to do this. Go over this material several days in a row, having the child state the answers out loud—or write it if that is the way the child learns best. Again, if you don’t have the time, seek outside help as you did for homework.

Filling in learning gaps may be necessary and is very important

• Some struggling students need tutoring. Do consider yourself the first choice for this job. If this isn’t possible, the alternative could be hiring a tutor or using a learning center. Because tutoring can be expensive, look into other choices, including family members and even high school students. In addition, there are some great websites online that will teach children almost every topic under the sun.
• For some students, the secret to mastering a particular skill is simply practice and more practice. There are an infinite number of sites online that help children accomplish this task. And the neat thing about them is that many do this by using games. Also, another way to get more practice is simply to do more problems or exercises in books and online than are assigned.

The time to get more help

            Helping struggling children is not just a few days exercise. It takes time and persistence. Most times when teachers and parents work together, their help is effective. Nevertheless, if it appears that more problems are in play, and children continue to struggle, it is time to investigate the possibility of a learning disability.

Parents should send questions and comments to DearTeacher@DearTeacher.com and visit the DearTeacher.com website to learn more about helping their children succeed in school. ©Compass Syndicate Corporation, 2023

As always, please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns.