7 Things a Parent Can Do If Their Child is Struggling at School

Throughout the years, I have seen kids who run into issues at school in Year 3 for the first time. (Year 3, also known as 3^rd grade, or around 8 years old). I can add that ALL of them were, and are, highly intelligent. Struggling at school was unexpected for them.

For example, Sarah’s son excelled in preschool, kindergarten, right up through second grade in fact. His difficulties started when he reached Grade 3. And Sarah is just one of many examples I’ve personally witnessed.

Why Some 8-year-old to 10-year-old Children Begin Struggling at School:

Putting together my observations as a pediatric occupational therapist over the past 30 years, I have come up with a few generalizations about this seemingly-odd onset of behavioral and developmental challenges.

Intelligent children can cope with the early transitions into formal schooling between kindy and 2^nd grade. They can plan for the tasks required at those stages. They can adapt to the new schedule and daily routine. With all the excitement of new friends and fun places to play, they cope.

It’s in Year 3 that the academic expectations jump up a notch. They have less time to complete tasks. There is less individual attention and support from the teacher. After all, the teacher now typically has more students per class than he or she did in earlier grades.

Plus, the sheer academic work load is significantly higher in Year 3 for students. The US averages suggest that students in Year 3 get about an hour per night of homework. (This is as opposed to the recommended 30 minutes for their age and attention span!)

In the UK, children switch from only simple reading at home with their parents. They switch to math, spelling, and science assignments. And though they aren’t statistically doing as much as the US averages, they are expected to spend more time on homework in Year 3 than any other European nation. And lest we forget our own Aussies.

Thanks to recent research and surveys claiming that “Australian children are among the worlds most “stressed out” about homework,” the level of expectations for slightly older children is clear.

But, before I digress too far on my opinions on homework – it’s NOT just about the volume of work.

The Type of Work Requires Different Mental Mechanisms

The type of learning that students in Grade 3 are faced with involves a whole new set of mental and developmental skills.

For example:

• longer spelling words
• longer sentences
• essays
• faster handwriting
• higher number sequences

The skills necessary for these sequencing tasks are referred to as bilateral integration. And for any child who has problems with bilateral integration, such as a condition called dyspraxia (See our article on Dyspraxia), this is typically where problems will pop up.

Expectations for Independence

Students at this age are now expected to be fully independent with daily routines. This includes self-care, as well as moving from classroom to classroom, toileting, meals, etc. At this point in school, there is typically more independent work. Which means more time sitting still in a proper desk.

Whereas in the earlier stages of primary school, there tend to be more group activities, movement incorporated into lessons, and fun, multisensory experiential learning going on.

So, What Can Parents Do If Their 8-year-old to 10-year-old is Struggling at School?

 

1. Check for Medical Causes

Start with a trip to your paediatrician. This is a common age for children to present with vision problems – one in four children, in fact! Not being able to see properly could account for a large portion of a child struggling at school. Another common ailment to look for is hearing loss. 

Whether from injury or genetics, vision and hearing loss can account for many learning or developmental delays. They can certainly account for struggling at school.

2. Have an evaluation performed by a speech and occupational therapist

 

Speech therapists can diagnose and work with your child on a myriad of language difficulties, not just the commonly-known lisp or stuttering issues. In fact, speech therapists and occupational therapists have a bit of overlap.

Dyspraxia, for example, is a condition that affects 6-10% of children and makes it difficult to coordinate movement or speech. It can also be referred to as developmental coordination disorder. (See our article “What is dyspraxia, and how do I know if my child has it?”)

Symptoms of ADHD and ADD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder) often present major challenges in school for children in Grade 3. For example, in our earlier example with mum Sarah, her son’s ADHD was diagnosed in 3^rd grade.

 

“It turned out my son’s struggles in Year 3 led us to discover he is both dyslexic and has ADHD.  With our occupational therapist, we’ve been able to integrate therapy into his daily routine, which made a few differences right away,” says Sarah.

 

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is another condition affecting many primary school aged children. SPD is a malfunction in the integration systems of any of the senses, so it can affect vision, speech, eating, touch sensations, hearing sensitivity, and motor skill coordination. 

SPD could cause a child to have difficulty sitting still, being in groups, playing, writing, toileting, and more. (Learn more about SPD here in our article “What is Sensory Processing Disorder?”)

A/sensory-processing-disorder/ll of these learning disabilities and coordination challenges impact a child’s anxiety levels and self-confidence, which in turn impact their enjoyment of school-related activities.

3. Integrate developmental therapy exercises into your daily routine

The solution to any of the above-mentioned problems includes speech or occupational therapy. The therapeutic exercises used in my program, called CoordiKids, addresses these developmental gaps with fun and simple exercises. We use sequences over and over to help strengthen the bilateral integration ability of children.

The CoordiKids program offers parents short exercise videos to practice at home or your favorite play area. Each exercise is targeted at closing developmental gaps. Click here to see if CoordiKids is a good fit for your family.

And don’t think that therapy will last forever. Some children with these issues often just need a few therapy sessions to be well on their way. I know many who had these issues and underwent a bit of therapy. And they are now adults who have completed university! They didn’t have any issues again.

4. Put together an lndividualized Educational Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan

Each of these is formal child development blueprints created for schoolchildren who need special attention or education requirements. An IEP/IES is specifically for children diagnosed with a disability according to the US Disability Act. An IEP/IES includes certain attention issues and learning disorders. 

However, a 504 Plan applies to a broader range of learning and attention challenges. Students do not need to be diagnosed as “special needs” to have a 504 Plan in place. No child needs to be struggling at school with these options available to them.

You can request an evaluation for an IEP/IES through your school. A team of special education teachers and early childhood counselors will determine the specific goals and accommodations your child needs.

A 504 Plan can be developed by any childcare provider who is familiar with the child and the special service options at schools.

Accommodations can range depending on the plan you put together, such as:

• Sitting in the front of the classroom.
• Creating different stations in the classroom for different types of work.
• Adapting the schedule to move PE or lunch to different times of day.
• Providing a visual clock with remaining times for each lesson plan segment.
• Incorporating multi-sensory activities as part of the lesson plan.
• Allowing for 5 minute movement or therapy breaks.

Elisa, mother of a child with ADHD, says that having an IEP really helps her son.

 

“We had movement breaks written in to my sons IEP. It helped him a ton! They supplied him with break cards to request a time out, where he could go to OT room or CST room for up to 10 mins and then return to class.”

 

5. Suggest the incorporation of movement breaks during class

Whether or not your child has an IEP or 504 Plan requiring the allowance of movement breaks, talking to the teachers and principal of the school about class-wide participation in movement breaks is a great idea.

Movement breaks in the classroom have been shown to help increase concentration and focus, and increase the success of learning in general. They also give children with SPD, ADHD, anxiety, dyspraxia, and other classroom challenges a much-needed opportunity to reset.

That’s why my Occupational Therapy team developed a specific series of videos that teachers can use in the classroom for movement or a brain break. Conveniently, each video is only 5-10 minutes long. 

Furthermore, the whole program, called CoordiKids Classroom Course, includes 30 videos to be rotated each week for the whole school year. (Which means there’s also no preparation required from the teacher.) Perhaps it’s something your school will be interested in!

6. Check with the school counsellor to talk about potential emotional or psychological reasons for struggling at school

Could there be social anxiety issues causing classroom issues for your child? If so, their struggling at school could be a result of:

• problems socializing,
• fear of eating or toileting around other people,
• anxiety or stress to fit in.

A lot of these are common anxieties among young children at school, which can make school time difficult.  So making an appointment to chat regularly with a professional who can help is a useful tool for parents.

7. Give them opportunities to vent frustrations, talk, and release tension with some fun

Pam’s 10 year old son has ADHD. She suggests using a feelings journal to allow a bit of emotional release.

 

“My son and I started journaling together every night after school. He would tell me three reasons he was proud of himself that day, and I’d fill the rest of the page with why I was proud that day. Even on his worst days, it reminded him that I’ve got his back and that I still see the good in him no matter what. 

He knew we weren’t sure how his brain and body work together or how to help him have “green light” days every day and he got so self-conscious, it broke my heart. Today at almost 10 he’s having perfect days every day and things are going great, but the beginning was rough, and that journal really helped us both.”

 

Other ways of venting include setting aside time for free painting and drawing. You can use a jar of scenarios that might draw out various emotions in your child. So these can be used as topics for your child to paint one a day. Another great release that parents suggested was theater and improv (improvisation) classes.

Or even games with the family. Kids can practice living-in-the-moment. And they can practice handling the emotions that go along with the fun and the failures of improv. Julie Martin is a Confidence and Presentation coach who uses improv comedy with all ages to develop self-esteem, concentration, and social skills.

In summary:

If you notice your child struggling at school, here’s what to do:

1. Identify medical issues by going to your pediatrician.
2. Identify developmental issues by visiting a speech or occupational therapist.
3. Incorporate therapeutic exercises and activities into your child’s daily routine to help offset emotional, behavioral, or learning difficulties.
4. Consider an IEP or 504 plan to require accommodations to integrate your child’s specific learning needs.
5. Ask your school about incorporating movement breaks.
6. Talk to the school counsellor for insight into any emotional or social anxiety issues going on around the school.
7. Offer opportunities to vent and talk about emotions and frustrations that might be causing struggling in school.

References:

“Kids have three times too much homework, study finds; what’s the cost?” By Kelly Wallace, CNN“Australian children among the world’s ‘most stressed’ about homework.” Merryn Porter, Essential Kids.