5 Signs Your Child May Be Falling Behind in School & How to Help

School should be a positive experience for students where they are excited to learn and grow. They may not love every class, but that shouldn’t negate the entire experience. But when children are struggling with certain subjects or concepts, their attitudes may change. It is important to recognize signs that they may be having trouble aside from poor grades. Being proactive and getting help early on can help them be more successful and overcome challenges.

Anxiety about school.

Has your child suddenly become anxious about school and creates excuses not to go? Do they dread Sunday nights? If you have ruled out issues with bullying or classmates, the problem may be that they are having difficulty in class. Perhaps they are frustrated or fearful because they realize they don’t understand the lesson. When they aren’t able to keep up, they may become anxious about being called on for an answer or to go up to the board.

Avoiding talking about school.

Pay attention to changes in your child’s attitude. A student who used to easily talk about what they did in class who now avoids conversation, changes the subject, or gives very vague answers may be trying to hide the fact that they are falling behind. Or, they may stop talking about a specific class and shift the conversation to a subject they’re doing well in.

Excuses regarding assignments or tests.

If they bring home a poor grade or a report saying that they have missing assignments, do they always have an excuse? It could be that they didn’t know they had homework, forgot it at school, or the teacher didn’t tell them a certain topic would be on the test. While in some cases this may be true, it could also be a tactic for avoiding confronting the real situation — they are having difficulty in class and don’t feel confident doing the work. Rather than struggle and get frustrated or disappointed, they may avoid trying altogether.

Taking a long time to complete assignments.

Is an assignment that should take 10 minutes taking an hour or more? Does your child seem to spend a lot of time doing work for a specific class? You may want to talk to the teacher to see approximately how long assignments are intended to take. Your child may be putting in extra hours because they are unsure about what they are doing and how to correctly complete the task.

Acting out in class.

This can be another sign of avoidance. Instead of admitting they don’t know an answer, they may make a joke or do something silly instead. Or they may ask to go to the bathroom or sharpen their pencil. If your child is usually a pretty good student but they are getting in trouble in a certain class, you may want to talk to them and their teacher about why and what to do about it.

Supporting Your Child If They Are Falling Behind

One of the first steps is to talk to your child about what is going on, as well as their teacher. Perhaps you can work together to resolve the problem and get your child back on track. Working with a tutor can also be beneficial. It allows your child to get one-on-one help in a safe environment where they feel comfortable asking questions. Crafting Scholars creates custom curriculum aligned with your student’s needs, abilities, and learning style to present information in a way that makes sense and builds a stronger foundation for future learning.

In addition, Crafting Scholars can work with your child on developing more effective note taking skills, study habits, test prep techniques, organizational skills, and more. It may not just be the course content they’re struggling with, but also how to effectively write down and study the information. Learn more about how we can help by contacting Crafting Scholars today!

Originally published at https://craftingscholars.com on July 21, 2022.