If your child performs below the class average, there might be a barrier to learning.
Dr Johan Meyer of the School of Transformation says he deals with many parents with children in this predicament.
“So many parents are concerned because their children’s cry for help often turns into bad behaviour at school and at home. Laziness plays a role and learners are discouraged as they have given up the fight to do well at school,” said Meyer.
“A common complaint from parents is that homework time is a nightmare and that their children just don’t have the drive and inspiration to tackle the current work due to being so far behind.
“Parents can usually tell if their child is in a crisis at school and not reaching their full potential.”
He said the first step is to speak to your child’s teachers and to get a better understanding of your child’s conduct in the class.
“If there are warning signs, further assessment, by a local education centre, is warranted. If you want a more in-depth analysis and possibly a diagnosis, then the next route would be to see an educational psychologist.
“You might be introduced to words such as ‘ADD’, ‘ADHD’, ‘dyslexia’, ‘autistic spectrum’ or ‘oppositional defiant disorder’.
“There could possibly be enough symptoms present for such a diagnosis, but whether the problem is severe enough for a diagnosis or not, it is important to do something about it.”
So where do you start to get help and how do you know what pitfalls to avoid?
• Back to basics
“The only way to remediate a reading problem is to do something about it. Many parents wait for some miracle to take place at school, but unfortunately the nature of the curriculum does not allow extra time to remediate problems.
“There is help for your children’s learning problems.
“The backlog in reading, comprehension and spelling must be determined and the starting point is to help a child on the level that he/she can cope with. You then systematically build them up from there.
“Extra lessons in English, maths and Afrikaans will help your child to cope with current work by remediating the areas where they have fallen behind. It is vital that these lessons are attended regularly.”
• Concentration problems
“If concentration is a problem, then firstly one must determine the extent of the problem by doing a concentration assessment.
“Is it concentration, distractibility, impulsivity or simply just anxiety? Once we have these results, a treatment protocol can be started, whether it is through alternative strategies, such as supplementation, dietary changes or therapies, such as neurofeedback which, we find, shows promising results.”
• Alternative schooling
“Some children just do not cope well in a conventional school and a different approach is required. If you know that the big class numbers, the noise, distractions and the fact that one-on-one attention is not really an option and is affecting your child’s progress, you should consider a change.
“It is a big step to change to a supportive mainstream school or a smaller, remedial environment.
“Remember that you are not alone. There are many famous people who overcame their learning difficulties and made a success of their lives.
”You can also help your child to succeed by praising their efforts and focusing on their good qualities.”
