When smart kids struggle in school, it’s confusing and frustrating for all involved. In my experience both as a parent and working with thousands of parents, we suffer along with our kids and we will do anything to help them be happy and successful.
But since kids don’t come with instruction manuals, we have to figure it out as we go. Making mistakes is unquestionably part of the process of figuring things out.
We’ve been looking at some mistakes that many parents make when trying to deal with their children’s learning challenges. Here’s Mistake #4…
Mistake #4 – Assuming That The School Will Fix It – Trust The School To Solve The Learning Problem
This is probably the most devastating of all the mistakes. Parents believe that the school’s job is to fix learning problems.
Parents take test results to the school and think that schools will make the learning problem go away.
Whether it should or shouldn’t be, solving learning problems is NOT what schools do.
Schools focus on getting curriculum taught so that students can expand their knowledge in subject areas and pass standardized tests.
Schools are not trained to fix learning problems, they aren’t staffed to deliver that kind of service, and they don’t have the budget to do it.
It takes specialized training and specialized programs to make the permanent changes that result in actually solving learning problems.
What Parents Can Do
Is your child struggling in school? Work with the teachers and the school to get support and accommodations and to make sure that your child is understood. Get strategies from teachers for how to best work with your child on homework.
But don’t assume that the school will fix the problem. Bright but struggling students CAN be in regular or honors classes and learn as easily as the rest of the class, BUT it takes understanding and developing the weak underlying learning/processing skills at the root of the problem.
To take the first step towards correcting the problem:
Quick Answers
Will my child’s school fix a learning problem?
Solving learning problems is not what schools do. Schools are not trained to fix learning problems, they aren’t staffed to deliver that kind of service, and they don’t have the budget to do it.
What should I do if my child is struggling in school?
Work with the teachers and the school to get support and accommodations and to make sure that your child is understood, but don’t assume that the school will fix the problem.
Jill Stowell, M.S.
Founder and Executive Director of Stowell Learning Centers and bestselling author of At Wit's End and Take the Stone Out of the Shoe. For more than 40 years, Stowell Learning Centers has helped children and adults correct the root causes of dyslexia, learning, and attention challenges. More about Jill
Is your child working harder and still struggling?
Talk with a Learning Specialist for free. We'll help you understand what may be getting in the way and what to do next.
Or call 877-774-0444 | Chino | Irvine | Pasadena | Remote programs nationwide
Not sure where to start? Take our free Learning Challenge Quiz
Ready to take the next step?
Speak to a Learning Specialist to learn more about the results from students and parents at Stowell Learning Centers.