Join us Wednesday night October 11th at 9 pm on our
3D Learner Facebook page or our YouTube Channel
for a discussion on
“If your child is struggling, why you should reject the status quo and focus on helping your child be all they can be”.
Click here to register for the event
Do you have a smart struggling child? Now that school is in Fall/Full swing, it is time for parents to really address how their child is progressing: academically, socially, and emotionally. Many parents wait until near the end of the school year to ask teachers how their kids are performing academically and on how much work (if any) is needed to get them caught up. They often want to know how they might do things differently NEXT YEAR. The time to get it right is NOW.
We have all read about the massive learning losses our kids endured and some say it will take years for our kids to “recover” and to make the necessary achievement gains.
We need to recognize that ALL of us experienced trauma– a disruption in the way we got used to living our lives. It is time for us to move on. It is also time for us to take responsibility to figure out what your child needs and build a TEAM to make success happen.
What if we take a different “view”? What if you took a different view and focused on How to Help Your Smart Struggling Child Get it Right NOW!
Report cards for the first quarter of this school year will be coming out shortly. Although they can indicate how well your child is doing in school, they often have no relation to whether your child has mastered the content or skills needed to succeed at the new grade level. More importantly, they are often devoid of any indication of your child’s engagement or excitement for school or learning.
We have become a data driven society of producing test scores, reading rate scores (how fast can your child read words out loud within a certain timeframe), math and science test scores, etc. While this data can be important, it does not give you a very complete picture of where your child is really at and where they may be struggling. You might want to ask “Is my child making grade level expectations?” If your child is below at least one grade level in reading in Kindergarten through 3rd grade, you want to know that NOW and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT–
The research about the importance of having children be AT grade level, or above, for reading comprehension in 3rd grade is massive.
Many students in 4th grade and above are 2, 3 and even 4 years below grade level in reading comprehension. School interventions or traditional tutoring are unlikely to close the gap.
Besides the obvious academic risks, the biggest risks we are seeing of not addressing the issues our children are struggling with, is the stress and anxiety that they are experiencing. These kids that are struggling are wanting help…they certainly do not want to fail. And if you are watching, they are WORKING REALLY HARD!!! They are NOT LAZY. They just have not been taught in a way that they ‘get it’. These issues that are affecting our kids are not issues that teachers and schools can address.
We understand that as parents, you are overwhelmed as well, and YOU need support. Fighting with your child or fighting with your child’s teacher is not productive.
Make the decision NOW to start fresh. Look at your child from a different perspective and decide that THIS YEAR WILL BE DIFFERENT. Start by observing what brings your child joy.
When are they the most fun to be around?
How can you turn that positive energy into the same positive learning environment?
Where do you want your child to be by the end of this school year?
Where are they now?
Ask your child’s teacher about what they think about your child’s progress.
Remember when teachers are reporting on your child’s reading progress they might be giving you confusing information. Standardized Test Scores are a broad measure of your child’s overall progress at a certain grade level set by National or State norms. Reading Fluency is the fluidity and correct pronunciation with which your child reads words orally. This is NOT TO BE CONFUSED with your child’s level of reading COMPREHENSION. Comprehension is understanding what your child is reading. There are many children who can decode words easily yet have no understanding about what they read.
Too many students do not enjoy reading. When their reading comprehension is below grade level it often increases frustration and anxiety. It can become a vicious cycle–even in the early elementary school years and often results in reading avoidance.
THIS IS NOT OK!! Instilling the joy and excitement of reading and learning must be a foundation.
Then ask yourself “What do I have to do to help my child get there this year?” What team do I need to work with to help make my child a success this year?”
You hold the keys for your smart struggling child, and you don’t need to do it alone. Our team is here to help. If you would like to have a conversation on why your smart struggling child is not succeeding and how they can succeed, call us at 561-361-7495 or click here to schedule a no cost Stress to Success Conversation for Your Smart Struggling Child.
If your child is struggling in school, we strongly recommend you reject the status quo now.
When you reject the status quo and focus on your child’s success, the next step is to Assess for Success.
