*collaborative post*
Hands up if lockdown massively impacted your child’s education? I am sure every single one of you have your hand firmly in the air right now. My eldest has really struggled in school since returning ‘back to normal’ in September. Homes schooling didn’t go well for us and my eight year old is now having to relearn his times tables and basic spellings. He’s fallen behind like many of his classmates but I know in time he will be back on track. If you your child has fallen behind at school, today’s guest post is full of advice on how you can help them to catch up.
How to help your child catch up at school when they’ve fallen behind
Children can fall behind at school for a variety of reasons. They might be ill or absent from school for another reason. Or they might be finding the material tricky and struggling to keep up with the rest of the class. Over the last couple of years, many pupils have found remote learning difficult too. When your child has fallen behind in their education, it can be stressful for them and you. But there are some steps that you can take if you want to help your child catch up with their schoolwork and get on the same page as their classmates.
Consider Extra Tutoring
If your child hasn’t managed to get a grasp on important subjects while at school, they might benefit from private tutoring. Teachers in school don’t often have much time to dedicate to individual pupils, but tutors can provide the extra help that your child may need. A tutor can help with specific tasks and goals, such as GCSE mock preparation or preparing for SATs. Equally, they can just help your child to go over any material that they have covered in class. It can help your child to reinforce what they’ve learned, clarify anything they don’t understand and get some more practice.
Communicate with Your Child and Their Teacher
Communication is important when your child has fallen behind at school. You need to know what they have missed or what they are finding difficult, as well as the reasons for this. If they have been absent from school, it might simply be that you need to know what topics they have missed that they will need to know. But if they’re finding some things difficult, you should discuss it with both your child and their teacher(s) to examine the issue and work out the best solutions.
Make Use of Appropriate Learning Resources
There are some great resources that can really help you if you want to support your child’s learning. Free online resources are available, such as the BBC Bitesize materials and other useful websites. These resources can be helpful for providing you with supporting materials that you can use to teach your child or to reinforce what they have already learned at school. Make sure you find resources that are appropriate for your child’s learning level and style and consider exploring some different learning methods if certain approaches are not working.
Allow Time for Learning
Having extra time to learn at home is important, but you also need to ensure your child’s schedule is balanced. If you expect them to spend too much time learning, they could simply become tired and frustrated. Make sure you schedule some time into their routine where they can continue to learn at home but keep the length of time appropriate for their age. Plenty of breaks are important, and you can also take an active role in their learning.
Don’t worry if your child has fallen behind at school. You can help them to catch up with the most important things by prioritising what they need to learn.
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Has your child ever fallen behind at school? How did you help them to catch up, do you have any tips to add to the list?