If you discover that your child is lagging behind at school or within certain subjects, it can be quite worrying. Lagging behind could result in your child being required to repeat the school year, or teasing from their fellow classmates, resulting in possibly low self-esteem in your child. The best thing to do is tackle the situation as soon as it comes to your attention. Below is a helpful list of steps you can take, to help prevent the problem escalating, and help get your child get back on track at school.
Find Out Exactly What the Problem Is
Before you can tackle the problem, you need to find out exactly what is wrong. Schedule a time to discuss the problem with your child’s teacher, in order to work out where the problem lies. Maybe your child has just not grasped one section of a subject well enough, resulting in repeated lagging behind. Maybe your child is being bullied, so check with your child’s teacher if she suspects this. If it is suspected that there is a deeper underlying cause, such as a learning disability, have your child assessed. Make sure you evaluate for possible disorders such as attention deficit disorder (ADD) as well. Once the problem is identified, then a plan of action can be put into place.
Formulate and Execute a Plan of Action
Once you narrow down what the problem actually is, you can then get to work on helping your child. If your child has ADD or some other mental health issue, have your child properly accessed and discuss medication requirements. If your child has a learning disability, make sure you find out what special classes are available, and what measures you can take to help your child progress. If your child is being bullied, find out what the steps to take are to resolve this. In the case of bullying, you will normally need to work with the school, and also a guidance counselor. If you child is merely struggling with just one or two subjects within class, which is usually the case with lagging behind, then find out about extra tutoring to bring them up to speed. One way to tackle the need for extra tutoring is via a home tutoring service. Being tutored at home will likely be less stressful for your child than at school, and can be carried out at the weekends, when your child has had a chance to rest. A home tutor will be experienced in dealing with children who are struggling with school, so taking on a child struggling with a subject will be nothing new to them. One-on-one teaching will mean your child will have the best chance possible to learn.
If you do plan to employ the services of a home tutor, make sure they are well qualified and experienced. A good way to ensure this is to contact a specialized home tutoring agency. An agency will have access to a large number of qualified teachers, making the task of locating a reliable and trained teacher easier for you. Agencies will also screen the tutor to ensure they have the relevant qualifications and training.