How to Help a Child Who’s Struggling in School

Overcrowding in schools is one of the biggest problems in today’s educational system as many schools exceed the recommended 15-20 students per classroom recommendation. This is just one of the issues that could lead to poor academic performance.

If your child is struggling in school, then it is important to know why and how to fix it. You can’t do much about the student:teacher ratio in a public school, but there are ways to understand your child’s behavior.

Start with this list of how to help your child in school.

Use Mistakes as a Learning Opportunity

Academic struggles aren’t always a bad thing. In fact, your child’s mistakes could help them grow academically.

Use your child’s weak points to see where they need to improve, however, this doesn’t mean fixing their mistakes for them. Allow them to get answers wrong so that they can go back and get it right.

Don’t Overwork Them or Add Extra Work

Behavioral issues could be caused by stress from your child having too much on their plate. Allow your child to relax by asking them if they are overwhelmed.

Don’t add extra study time or practice, thinking that they need more learning to improve academically. Instead, let them naturally learn at their own pace.

Talk to Their Teacher

If your child is having trouble behaving in school then it is best to talk to their teacher. You aren’t with your child in class, so you don’t know what goes on even if they explain it to you. It is good to get the teacher’s perspective as well to fully understand the situation.

Finding the cause of the misbehavior could also save their academic pitfalls because they go hand in hand with students who spend most of their social time at school.

Try Different Learning Methods

Every struggling child is different because everyone learns differently. They may prefer visual learning over auditory. So, you may want to ask your teacher to include more visuals during the lesson.

You can also implement different learning methods at home to study. This could supplement any gaps in their learning at school, which will accelerate their ability to understand information.

Ask Them if Something is Bothering Them

Students with behavioral health problems may have emotional stress. Your child might be able to understand their lessons, but something else is keeping them from focusing.

Try asking them if something other than their schoolwork is bothering them. They may be getting bullied or have another social issue that is impeding their academic life.

Speaking with behavioral health services may also help you find out why your child is acting out.

Do Something Fun

Focusing on something fun is a great way to relieve stress and restart your child’s enthusiasm for school. Take a day trip or plan a family vacation for a week to your child’s favorite place.

Moving Beyond Struggling in School

Almost every child will be struggling in school at some point in their life. What is important is that you don’t place any permanent labels on your child to make them feel like something is wrong with them. It is only a roadblock that your child can overcome.

Be sure to read more of our educational articles to stay on top of your child’s learning progress.