7 Mistakes to Overcome When Kids Struggle in Schools

Here are 7 mistakes parents and kids can make when children are struggling in schools.  Sign-up for more homework tips on Stowell Learning Center's homework page.

30% of ALL students struggle with some aspect of learning. Most of these struggling students have average to above average IQ scores. In other words, they have plenty of ability, but something isn't working quite right.

These students CAN be in regular or honors classes and learn as easily as the rest of the class, BUT it takes the right kind of outside help in order for them to really thrive in school.

Here are the 7 heartbreaking mistakes parents make when their child has difficulty with school.

I hope this is helpful to you as you work on solving the "puzzle" of learning difficulties. 


Mistake #1
Waiting Too Long Before Looking for Help

 

Panic is not what most parents want to do. School can be hard and some students take a while to get adjusted to the workload, the new ideas, and the routine.

But if a child has trouble keeping up...if they struggle with the foundational elements, then something is probably wrong.

For students who are not keeping up, school is a very painful place. They begin to believe they aren't very smart. Their self esteem gets destroyed...one little piece each and every day.

And coming home is no fun either because they spend hours doing homework that takes other kids just a few minutes.

School should not be a struggle for most students. It can be challenging, it can be some work, but it shouldn't be a constant struggle.

Reading, writing, and spelling are easily learned by most children. If your child keeps working harder at those subjects than other students, then there is something that should be done. The sooner the "fixing" process is started, the sooner the student can relax and enjoy school.

And the sooner the family can relax and enjoy life again.

Students who struggle with homework for more than a few weeks need help. 

 

Mistake #2
Assume A Learning Problem Just Isn't That Big A Deal

"School isn't everything."
"He can read, he just can't spell."
"He does well at math; it's just reading he has trouble with."

These are all signs that there is a larger learning issue going on.

Learning problems don't get smaller if you ignore them. They always get worse. If it lasts for a few weeks, it needs attention. It won't go away, but it will get worse.

And these days, being a good learner is essential to getting and keeping a job. Having the ability to read, write, spell, and comprehend, will allow people to gain new skills as the job market continues to change.

Your child's future employment is now directly connected to their ability to have a FULL set of efficient learning skills.

Mistake #3 Think Students Will Grow Out of Learning Problems

This is just like #2 previously. Parents believe that maturity will take care of learning issues.

Learning problems are caused by the way that the brain processes information. It's not a matter of trying harder, or waiting until they get older.

Until the brain is trained to process information differently, the same learning problems will continue to persist year after year.

There are specific programs that are designed to make those changes. They aren't a "magic pill" or a "quick fix." And they aren't inexpensive.

But the technology and understandings are now available for any student who wants to make those changes.

Mistake #4 Assume That The School Will Fix It - Trust the School To Solve the Learning Problem

This is probably the most devastating of all the mistakes. Parents believe that the school's job is to fix learning problems.

Parents take test results to the school and think that something good will happen.

Whether it should or shouldn't be, solving learning problems is NOT what schools do.

Schools focus on getting curriculum taught so that students can pass standardized tests.

Schools are not trained to fix learning problems, they aren't staffed to deliver that kind of service, and they don't have the budget to do it.

It takes specialized training and specialized programs to make the permanent changes that result in actually solving learning problems.

Mistake #5 Buy Into The Myth That Nothing Can Really Be Done to Permanently Fix Learning Problems

Old thinking, old research, old patterns insist that learning problems will always exist.

NOT TRUE!

Brain research over the last 25 years has destroyed this myth. Unfortunately, schools and colleges just haven't caught up.

Having a learning problem is like riding a bicycle with flat tires. All the effort in the world won't make riding it any easier.

Schools focus on WHAT students learn, not HOW they learn. In other words, it is their job to teach knowledge and curriculum. They may provide support for struggling learners, but they don't actually correct the underlying issues causing the problem.

Some tutoring places teach better techniques for riding a bike that has flat tires.

But the BEST approach is to fix the tires!

Once the tires are fixed, there is no need for someone to hold the seat.

We KNOW it can be done because we change lives every day.

Mistake #6 Misread The Signs

Trouble reading "My child doesn't have learning disabilities, Dyslexia, or anything serious like that; they just have trouble with spelling."

This is a VERY common mistake.

Here are some typical signs that parents misread:

• Trouble spelling
• Trouble reading
  
• Taking much longer on homework or class assignments
• Difficulty making / keeping friends
• Clumsy
• Disorganized (yes, really!)
• Difficulty getting thoughts written down on paper
• Trouble copying from the board
• Not being able to follow directions
• Confusion with knowing left from right
• Says "Huh" or "What?" a lot
• "Lazy"

These may not seem like signs of a learning problem, but they do show "holes" in the underlying processing skills that are needed for efficient learning.

The underlying, foundational skills simply don't fully develop in 30% of the population.

The good news is that these skills can be developed completely, but only through a deliberate course of remediation.

Mistake #7 Ask The Wrong People For Help

Tutors, schools, pediatricians, and psychologists have their own specialties. Fixing learning problems is not really their field.

Standard testing doesn't usually diagnose problems with underlying skills.

And there aren't a lot of places that know how to "fix the tires." But the number is growing all the time.

Those that do know how to make real and permanent changes can completely make-over the lives of both students and families. It looks like a miracle when it happens!

 

 

Can't Think of Anything To Write?

 Struggling with ideas on writing assignments. Here are some tips from Stowell Learning Center. Sign-up for your own homework tips on Stowell's webpage.

How often does a short writing assignment turn into hours or days of sitting in front of a blank piece of paper?

 

Please know that you, and your child, are not alone! Professional writers sometimes have this very same thing happen to them.

 

Below you'll find a three-step process for getting ANY writing assignment started. Making this a part of every writing assignment will make ALL writing easier.

 

This is REALLY exciting...to get a tool that will change writing assignments forever!

Here's to having the best school year ever,

 

Can't Think of Anything to Write About

"I can't think of anything to write about!" whines Casey as he sits staring off into space hoping for inspiration to hit. And the 20-minute writing assignment just became an hour.

Even though teachers usually give some kind of a prompt or topic for students to write about, the minutes tick away for many students as they are "blank" about what to write.

Here are a couple of very simple strategies that will help:

1. It is easier to answer a question than to just write from scratch, so turn the topic into a question. For example:

 

 

 

 

2. Visualize the answer to the question you asked. List three to five things that you pictured. These become your details. For example:

 

 

3. Use words from the question to write your topic sentence. For example:

 

 

Many students find they have lots to say once they get started with writing. It's that initial getting started that's so challenging. Using these three steps will give students a structure to "jump start" the process.

Here are some ideas for keeping your child focused during the large holiday beaks from Stowell. Sign up for homework tips through Stowell Learning Center. 

Happy Holidays!  The calendar has finally caught up with the TV commercials!

 

So what does that look like for kids still in school for another two to three weeks and families still dealing with homework?

 

Younger children get increasingly excited.  Teens get busy with social events.  Class routines get disrupted with art projects, assemblies, and special program rehearsals.

 

All good stuff! 

Except when it comes to homework! 

For the next couple of weeks, it will be hard for kids to settle down to do homework and harder to find time to fit it in.

 

This is NORMAL!

 

Below you'll find three suggestions to making this time of year easier.

 

Here's to having the very best school year ever.

 

 

3 "Golden Keys" to Keeping Students on Track During the Holiday Season

 

1. Keep your Homework Routine
   If your homework routine has begun to fall by the wayside, re-establish it and make it non-negotiable.  Students fight things less when things are "set in stone."  Have a set time and place for doing homework.
   
   
2. Acknowledge; then Move Ahead
   Kids will naturally be more distracted and excited at this time of year.  We can't make them not feel that way and really don't want to "s" the excitement.  So it's important to acknowledge where they are and then move forward to what they need to do. 
   
   Here's how this might look:
   
   For a younger student:
   "You're super excited aren't you?  This is a fun time of year.  Right now, it's homework time.  How about if I help you get started?"
   
   For an older student:
   "You're anxious to talk to Sara about the party Saturday night, aren't you?  It sounds like it's going to be really fun!  Right now, it's the time we've agreed on to do homework.  Why don't you put a reminder on your phone to call Sara as soon as you're done?"
   
   
3. Make it Fun
   Take advantage of the season
   
   For example, if you're studying times tables, spelling words, or vocabulary with your child, you might write each one on an index card and then separate them into Santa's naughty and nice piles.  Be a little silly.  Put the cards the student knows in the "nice" pile!  "Yea!  That one gets a present this year!"  "Awesome!  This one goes in the nice pile!"
   
   The ones the student doesn't know go in the "naughty" pile.  "Boo, he was bad this year!"  "No presents for him!"  This takes the emphasis off of the student not knowing certain facts or words and puts the blame, in a fun way, on the fact/word itself.  Be sure to go back and practice the cards in the "naughty" pile to try to move them to the other pile.
   
   Other examples:
   "How about if you try these cookies I've been baking after you finish this assignment?"
   
   Play Christmas music in the background.
   
   Read a Christmas/holiday story for the nightly reading.
   

Be creative, have fun, acknowledge and enjoy the excitement, all the while sticking to your homework routine!  Happy Holidays!

 

Hamburgers and Writing Essays

Homework tips from Stowell Learning Center. Sign-up and receive more homework tips.

Sometimes trying to get a long paper written can feel like a forever process.

Writing can be VERY disjointed for some students. They know they have to write a page so they just start writing whatever pops into their mind. Ideas end up being repeated over and over or become a series of random thoughts.

Let's make this really concrete for students. Below you'll find an easy way for kids (and, actually, adults too) to look at a writing assignment and make it "real" in such a way that they are clear about how they will write.

This is really a "tasty" way to go about writing!

Here's to making this the best school year ever.

 

 

Can a Hamburger Help Your Child Write Better?

Taking something familiar from real life, can often help students to understand the big picture of what they are supposed to do.

There's a commercial on TV for a popular fast-food restaurant that shows someone eating a huge, juicy hamburger with all kinds of stuff - cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sauce, pickles - spilling out as he bites down. And the point is that this ISN'T any old boring hamburger, but this one is really juicy and special (a.k.a. messy).

We sometimes use the analogy of a loaded hamburger to help students understand how a multi-paragraph paper is organized.

The whole hamburger represents the overall topic or focus of the paper - what it's all about.

The top and bottom bun represent the introduction and the conclusion. These are the first and last paragraphs in the paper, and while they don't look exactly the same, they are basically made of the same stuff.

The top bun, or the introductory paragraph introduces the reader to the topic and gives just enough information to get the reader interested in reading on.

The concluding paragraph is like the bottom bun. It is the last paragraph and has basically the same content as the introduction. It restates and wraps up the topic.

Everything in between the introduction and conclusion - the meat and all the condiments - make up the body of the paper, each being a different key point. Each one gets its own paragraph (or paragraphs) to describe or explain it's overall contribution to the whole topic.

Try getting a large picture of a hamburger. Draw a line next to the top and bottom bun on the left hand side. Here, the student can put his ideas for the introduction and conclusion.

On the right hand side, draw lines out from the meat, cheese, tomatoes, etc. The student can jot down the key points of the paper on these lines in the order he wants to present them.

Using the hamburger as a guide, now he has a structure with which to write a paragraph or a simple multi-paragraph paper that will have an introduction, body/details, and conclusion.

Give it a try..and then maybe eat a hamburger for dinner!

Homework Help for Struggling Readers

Here is a good tip for parents to help their struggling readers. You can get more ideas from Stowell Learning Center and sign-up to receive emails.

How do you handle homework while you're working on those skills? School doesn't stop and wait while your child builds the skills that others already have!

 

Below you'll find a resource that will help ease the burden of reading.

 

 

Audiobooks May Help Your Struggling Reader Keep up with the Class and Be More Independent

Does your child dread or avoid reading textbooks because the pages seem too dense, the chapters too long, or words too hard? Having textbooks on audio allows students to spend less time struggling with homework, and more time understanding and absorbing the material.

It also frees you up from having to do the reading for your struggling reader and helps your child be more independent.

Here are two resources available to schools and parents for a nominal yearly fee (may be free to schools) that will allow students with learning disabilities to access their textbooks on audio

Learning Ally: www.learningally.org
Bookshare: www.bookshare.org

Here's HOW to get the most out of audiobooks:

 

Have your child or teen read along in their textbook as they listen. Using their finger under the line of text may help them to keep their place and allows them to touch, see, and hear the words simultaneously.

This action helps students notice vocabulary, see how words look while accurately hearing them read, and increases attention and comprehension.

Research reported by Learning Ally states that students show the following improvement with the use of audiobooks:

Improved reading comprehension: 76%
Increased interest in reading: 76%
Improved reading accuracy: 52%
Increased self-confidence: 61%
Increased motivation: 67%

 

Audiobooks are a valuable resource and support for struggling readers.

It is important to recognize, however, that these resources do not correct the reading problem.

Most reading and spelling problems can be permanently corrected by identifying and developing the weak, underlying learning skills that are getting in the way of the student learning comfortably and efficiently.

Homework Help for Dyslexic Challenges, Awkward Letter Formation, Letter Reversals, and Spelling

Here are some great tips to help your struggling reader. You can sign-up for homework tips through Stowell Learning Center too.


Filling out worksheets is a breeze for some kids, but for those who find writing or spelling slow and laborious, a simple homework worksheet can take aaaallllll afternoon.

Students with graphomotor challenges (difficulty printing or writing in cursive) often find the lines on worksheets too short or too narrow for their uncoordinated and ballooning letters

If they are going to write legibly on the lines provided, they have to write each letter very intentionally and carefully, so even if they know the content, it will take them far longer than their friends to complete it. Often, kids with these kinds of challenges get overwhelmed and exhausted.

For students with dyslexic challenges, awkward letter formation, letter reversals, and spelling (which may have to be erased and corrected over and over) can make a simple worksheet seem to take forever, and the real learning in the assignment, the content, may become completely lost.

If your child fits one of these scenarios and your dining room table is the scene of nightly meltdowns over worksheets, you may want to get your child's teacher on board with the suggestion below.

 

Share the Writing
Tackling Worksheets When Writing or Spelling is Slow and Laborious

***Make sure you arrange with your child's teacher to use the following procedure.

Agree to have your student be responsible for writing the answers to a portion of the questions (for example, 2 out of 5), and then you (the parent) write the answers to the other questions as your student dictates.

This allows your child to take her time and write carefully and neatly on the items she writes, developing good habits.

It's important that students be responsible for part of the writing so that she knows that she is capable. She should know that the amount of writing she will do is being reduced so that she can focus on neatness and spelling.

Her best is expected!

Sharing the actual writing reduces the stress on students and allows her to focus more on the content. By having less actual writing to do, she can create better habits because she will not feel penalized by the amount of time it takes.

She will feel better about her work product because her own writing looks neater, and she might just have a little time left at the end of the day.

Homework Help, Getting Kids to Start Their Homework

I receive homework tips through email from Stowell Learning Center. You can sign-up for homework tips too!

"What do I do first?"

This may sound very simple.  In fact, the answer should be obvious to everyone.

Except we know that the set of skills known as the executive function skills don't actually finish developing until about the age of 25.  Which means what's obvious to adults isn't so obvious to students.

Even bright older children (yes, especially those in high school) put off getting homework started just because they aren't sure what to do first.  And often they don't really understand why they are procrastinating!

 

Homework Solution:
Getting the Homework Started -
A Quick 4 Step Plan

 

Use these 4 steps to get started and keep homework organized all the way through the process.

1. Help your child look at all of the homework he has.  Together decide about how much time is needed for each assignment.
2. Prioritize the assignments in order from hardest to easiest
3. As assignments are completed, teach your child to check them off.  Seeing one's own progress (checking off the assignment) is very motivating.
4. Help your child develop a habit of putting their completed assignments in an appropriate place in their folder and backpack.  Habits don't develop without practice, so lots of monitoring and praise is needed here.

While this is pretty obvious organizational "stuff," it actually involves a lot of skills that kids won't develop until later on in life.  Getting started now will give them a procedure they can use for the rest of their lives.