3 Critical Signs That Your Student is Struggling

Student Struggling

We all want our children to excel in school. It’s why we encourage them when we can. Plus, we help them study or complete their homework when they get stuck. Unfortunately, not every student has the ability to overcome these issues.

Some struggle with their classes. Many times this is due to a learning disability that they or the parents don’t know about. It wouldn’t be a surprise since 5% of those enrolled in public school have some form of issue that halts their progress.

Sometimes it’s hard to discern a bad day from an ongoing issue with learning. To get a clearer idea of what to look out for, here are 3 critical signs your child is struggling in school.

They Don’t Want To Go

One time they don’t want to get out of bed is okay, five times in a row isn’t. If your child keeps making excuses as to why they don’t want to go to school, then it’s something to look into.

It should be particularly concerning when their stories begin to change. For instance, the name of a bully changes, or what hurts is in a different part of their body. Perhaps they don’t come up with anything at all. Instead, they put the covers over their head and pretend they’re asleep.

This is not a point to get angry at them. Clearly, something is going on at school that’s causing an issue. It’s at that point you might need to reach out to your student’s teachers and administrators to get to the bottom of issues.

Spending Too Much Time On Homework

On average, children should take an average of 60-90 minutes to complete their homework. This doesn’t include special projects like presentations or projects. You should be concerned if your child goes upstairs after dinner to do homework and is still working on it well past your bedtime.

Yes, your child might be taking this much time because they’re incredibly distracted. If that’s the case, they might need to be examined for ADD. However, if you help them with one problem and they still struggle with it an hour later, then something else is going on.

Here, you need to speak calmly to your student so you can determine their frustrations. It might only need a shift in their problem-solving procedures to get them on the right path.

A Change In Sleeping And Eating Patterns

A child’s sleeping and eating patterns change as they grow. Once they reach young adolescence, they should do more of both to charge their growing bodies and minds. However, if the opposite takes place, then it’s a concern.

It may be connected to struggles at school if you see a shift in patterns throughout the week. On Friday and Saturday, they might act normally. However, come Sunday, you may detect a change in what they eat and how frequently they sleep.

These are two signs of panic or anxiety. Edginess, panic, and mood swings can accompany a change in eating and sleeping patterns. Should this be the case, you want to look into counseling for anxiety. If your student is reluctant to meet face-to-face with a therapist, you can turn to places like Wellin5 for online therapy.

There are other signs that your child might be struggling. For instance, their attitude about the school can start to change. They might not want to talk about school at all. In extreme cases, they could start to misbehave in classes where they have the most trouble.

Whatever the situation, you shouldn’t yell at your child. Most likely, one or all of these circumstances are related to an issue at school. First, talk to them in a safe area, like their room, and see if they open up. If not, make an appointment with a school counselor to talk things out.

If your student still has difficulties they may need to meet with your general practitioner to determine if the learning issues are related to dyslexia, being on the autism spectrum, or some other form of disability. Should that be the case you’ll want to start working with the proper people to help your student out.

Regardless of the situation, it won’t change immediately. However, continual work can get your child back on their path to success.

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