Parents are always concerned about the progress of their child at school, and they rightly are. A child needs support and help from both parents and teachers, to grow and perform academically and even in the other fields of life. In case, your child is lagging behind the other kids of the same age or isn’t learning well; then this must raise questions. But you don’t have to panic over it; we are sharing some of the ways through which you can help your child in becoming an efficient learner.
1. Talk to their teacher
If you think that your child is not performing well, then the first step that you should take is to talk to the teacher of your child at school. Discussing the situation with the teacher would make it easy for you to identify the loopholes and the solutions that you can take for the betterment. Moreover, after meeting the teacher, you’ll also be able to categorise if your concerns about the learning abilities of your child are worth worrying or not.
2. Talk to your child
Communication with your child is the next step that you should be taking to resolve the matter. Through this communication, you’ll be able to understand your kid and the problems that are restricting him/ her to perform well in the studies. They may be able to tell you what they find hard – whether it is a particular subject, difficulty hearing the teacher or seeing the whiteboard. Children often have good insight into their areas of difficulties.
3. Limit the screen time
Nowadays, excessive screen times are also reducing the focus and interest of your kids in studies. So, make sure that your child is not spending the entire afternoon and night watching TV, playing games, or using a mobile phone. Make sure not to scold your child if such habits are already developed. Take it smoothly and divert the attention of your kid to other games or activities for the reduction of screen time. Ask them what activities they might be interested in. Maybe they would enjoy riding their bike or scooters. Or playing basketball or soccer in the backyard. Gradually, you’ll see the improvement in the results as well as other activities too.
4. Develop the reading habit
Reading books can improve various skills. So, you should encourage children to read books and learn through it. Presenting them as gifts on different occasions can stimulate their interest in the books, so you can try doing it. Once they’ll develop the reading habit, you won’t have to force it anymore, and they’ll be into it on their own. But make sure that the content they are reading is healthy, authentic, and informative as this is going to set a base for the future.
5. Active learning should be encouraged
Passive learning can be another reason that your child is not able to cope up with the other students. You can encourage active learning by asking questions and helping them to build models or implement the concepts in a practical way. Not all children learn best by listening to their teachers. Some children learn better when they are creating things with their hands.
When you have trialled the above suggestions and there still seems to be some concerns, go and talk to your general practitioner about your child. They may be able to identify the reasons and refer you onto other health professionals that may be able to help your child. Try it yourself or go to the doctor; don’t ignore this behaviour of your child, as it could be detrimental in the long run.