Having a child who struggles to learn in school can be heartbreaking. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to help them succeed, beginning with hiring personalized, one-on-one assistance in their worst subjects. These professionals will help to boost your student’s self-esteem and make them feel more prepared for their classes.
Grasping the Concept
Your child may have a difficult time understanding a particular subject, while others come more naturally to him or her. This is common-everyone has his or her strengths and weaknesses. Hiring a tutoring service in just the areas where your student needs extra assistance is a great way to keep them on track without overwhelming them or making them more confused. Talk to your school’s counseling department and see if there are teachers on-hand who can give them extra lessons in areas where they seem to struggle most.
Rewards for Effort
Your student may never get straight As, but that doesn’t mean you can’t reward them for doing their best. Offer small prizes for turning all of their homework assignments in, for completing a tutoring lesson without complaint, or even for not getting any low grades on an assignment. As your child gains confidence in their work and realizes that you notice all of their improvements, they will continue to do well and create their own motivation to succeed.
Talking to Teachers
If tutoring and rewarding your student fail to get you the results you are hoping for, and you still see them frustrated over certain subjects, perhaps it’s time to talk to their teachers. They may have an instructor who has a different teaching tool than your child understands, or maybe they sit next to someone in class who keeps distracting them. Talk to these educators to see what the both of you can do to help your kid be more attentive and successful in class. It may help to have tutoring done while they are in class, or it could be beneficial to move them to the front of the class where they can learn without interruption.
Other Ways You Can Help
One of the best things you can do as a parent is to avoid telling your kid that they should do better. Don’t just tell them-show them! Offer them opportunities by getting them tutoring and providing a quiet place to study at home. Give them a schedule that they can adhere to so they are more likely to finish homework at a decent hour and allow them plenty of relaxation time so they don’t always have their nose stuck in a textbook. These are ways you can make learning a better experience for your child.
Not everyone is going to excel at everything, and this may be true for your student. You can help them improve their grades and ability to accept new methods of learning by incorporating a tutor, scheduled homework times, rewards, and getting their teachers involved. This may sound like a lot of work on your end, but the result is that your child will feel more confident in their work and will perhaps even enjoy their academic experience.
Written by Andrew Stratton (Article here.)
Last updated: January 10th 2018