When the Subject Struggle is Real…

It’s about this time of year when subject struggles (issues with one or two classes despite good performance elsewhere) start to really set in for kids who have fallen behind.

We see this all the time with the students we work with, but I also know from personal experience!

Back when I was in school, it was smooth sailing until I hit eighth-grade algebra, when I discovered what it meant to be a “Swiss Cheese Kid.”

I had holes in my knowledge because I couldn’t consistently focus on what the teacher was saying. In a cumulative subject like math, this meant I began to fall further and further behind.

You may find that your child’s “Swiss Cheese” isn’t all that porous and he’s just missing a few pieces of the puzzle. Maybe he just had a minor clash with a topic or a teacher and simply needs to spend some time revisiting that unit or assignment. Or maybe he’s just encountered some difficult material that he’s avoiding because he’s not sure how to approach it.

In these cases, a quick intervention (help them get started, ask questions, direct them to helpful websites) from Mom or Dad may be just what the doctor ordered.

When a child’s struggle with content goes beyond the short term issues described above, it is important to intervene as soon as possible.

The first option is to provide this extra help yourself. Start by assessing where the gaps are in her knowledge and begin offering extra practice to fill them in.

But keep in mind it is very common for kids to push back against receiving help from their parents, so you will need to be prepared for resistance to your efforts. Kids, like all of us, don’t like being told what to do, especially by their parents.

The other option is to bring in outside help (like what our subject tutors focus on at Educational Connections). So whether it’s with us, or another form of outside help, don’t hesitate to get the ball rolling.

Do, however, talk through it with your child first and look for someone experienced not just in the subject in question, but also at identifying gaps in learning and putting together a workable plan.

Whether it’s reading comprehension, speed with basic math, or frustration with more advanced classes, our hand-selected subject experts quickly target the biggest problem areas and work with your child to close the gap in understanding.

We get them back on track to improve confidence and decrease anxiety. Tackle those subject struggles before they snowball into a less-than-stellar post-winter break test grade. Click the button below and see if EC is right for you?

“I wanted you to know how pleased we have been with your services! Our daughter has improved her grade so much in Algebra. Karen has been really good for her and our daughter has been able to understand the materials.”
~ Sally, EC Subject Tutoring Parent