What is it all parents want for their children? Well, to be fair, there are a few different answers to this question – parents want a lot of things to ensure their kids are happy, healthy, and can have the best life possible – but one that often stands out because it’s a difficult one to deal with some of the time is their education. We are going to give you a little advice today on helping kids with difficult subjects in school. Hopefully this will ease some of the worries as they grow up – just a little.
This is a collaborative post.
The fact is that parents are sure to want their children to succeed academically because that gives them so much more choice when it comes to their future career and earning power, but children will generally find at least one subject difficult, and whether it’s math, science, reading, or even sport, it can be really frustrating to have to deal with these struggles at school. Parents, seeing their kids having trouble with something, will want to help, but how can you do it and not make things harder or end up doing the work for them
The good news is there are a number of excellent options that you can take to help your kid overcome tricky school subjects and set them up well for the future. With that in mind, keep reading to find out what some of those options are, and see if there are any that would help you help your children more effectively.
Why the problem?
Don’t worry – we’ll get to the solutions shortly, but it’s often wise to think about why there might be a problem in the first place; knowing why there’s an issue can help when it comes to choosing a way to handle it properly. Some of the common reasons for struggling with a particular subject include:
Learning styles
Everyone – and that means every child as well – has a unique learning style, and while some might be more visual learners, others might be what’s known as kinesthetic, or perhaps auditory (they need to see someone doing a task, or they need to hear instructions), for example. If you can work out what your child’s learning style is, not only might you know why there’s a problem (they might learn differently to how the teacher teaches), but you’ll also know how to help them moving forward.
Pacing
Some children need a little (and sometimes a lot) more time to get the idea behind various topics and subjects, and other might need a faster pace because otherwise they’ll get bored. Teachers have to work somewhere in the middle as the majority of kids will learn at that pace, but it can cause problems for those who don’t.
Interest
A very obvious reason why your child might be struggling with a certain subject is that they just don’t have any interest in it, and that’s fine. Do you have an interest in everything? Probably not – there will more than likely be some subjects you don’t find all that thrilling either.
Confidence
Finally, confidence can cause issues with learning – if a child is struggling (perhaps due to the issues above), they’ll lose their confidence, so even if they grasp the concept, they’ll never feel as though they do, and it can become a difficult cycle to get out of.
How to help with specific subjects
Now you know why the struggles might be happening, it’s time to learn how to help your child depending on the subject or subjects they’re having difficulty with, bearing the reasons we’ve just laid out in mind as well. You’re the one who knows your child best, so you’ll be the one who can choose how to go about things, and what’s good for your kid might not be right for someone else’s. However, with some knowledge, that decision can become much easier.
Math
Math is a very tricky subject for some children (and adults, come to that), and as time goes on and the math gets harder, it can become a real problem – it can even become so daunting that it causes stress. However, with the right approach, you can help your child enjoy it more (it still might not become their favorite subject, but any positive change is a good thing).
One thing you can do is to use math-based interactive games and apps that make learning more like a game and encourage children to use technology to progress. Since kids like to use technology anyway, you may as well use it to make math more fun and help them at school while they’re playing. On the same token, you can do game and puzzles together, online and offline – introduce your child to brain-teasing puzzles like sudoku and they’ll get much better at quick math and problem-solving, which they can then use in their lessons.
Don’t forget about real-world applications for math as well; if you can show them how to use math in everyday situations, they’ll get more used to it, and they’ll see how important it is to understand it too, which can help them feel more motivated when it comes to learning. So when you’re cooking together, or shopping, for example, you can go through the math involved, and it could be a great way to help and teach other life skills at the same time.
Reading
If your child isn’t much of a reader, they’re missing out on a lot of education – reading gives you a larger vocabulary, and it helps when it comes to grammar and spelling too. Plus it means that their imaginations are always being expanded, helping them to be more creative and think outside the box more often in life. The problem is that as useful as reading is, it’s not something all kids take to naturally, which is why it’s worth helping them as a parent.
A good place to start is to get a personalized book collection together. In other words, buy them books that match their other interests – if they love sport, get a book that involves sport, if they’re interested in space, get a book about space, and so on. The more linked the reading material is to their other hobbies and interests, the more likely they are to want to start reading it in the first place. And don’t forget your local library – you and your child can visit the library and find tons of books that could be of interest, and if your child can pick their own stories and you make it a fun regular thing to do together, it’s going to make them want to read more.
Reading aloud can also be something that helps a reluctant reader become more confident and enjoy the experience a lot more. Start by reading to your child and making every story as engaging as possible and then, as they get older, switch so that they’re reading to you (or perhaps take turns if that works better for you). Not only will they learn to read better, but they’ll be able to link reading with positive experiences of being with you and bonding together, so it’s a great idea.
And what about giving your child a comfortable place to read? Perhaps they don’t like reading because they find it hard to focus in a loud house and with a lot going on, so if you can create a cozy reading nook or a similar quiet space, that might be what turns things around.
Science
Another often tricky school subject is science – there’s a lot to learn, and some of it can be complex (after all, it’s all about how the universe works, and that’s a huge topic when you think about it!). It’s no wonder that some kids find it challenging, but parents can certainly help with this subject even if they don’t know much about science themselves.
Science focuses on experiments a lot of the time, and that’s something that can be a lot of fun, so why not do some at home to boost your child’s learning and engage them in the subject a little more? The key with this is to ensure you’re doing things in the right way, that you’re being safe, and that you can show why the experiment is important – what does it prove? If you can do all that, you can have a great time with your kid and perhaps learn something for yourself as well. Don’t worry if you’re not sure what to do; a search online will give you plenty of interesting experiments to do along with everything you need, the method, and what the outcomes should be (as well as what they mean).
Other things you can do include going on nature walks and pointing out the different things you see and the science behind it all – that could be wildlife, plant life, ecosystems, the weather, and much more. You could even do a scavenger hunt. Or what about a trip to a museum? Your child might not even realize they’re learning, but if you take them somewhere interesting and make sure they learn at least one new fact, it’s sure to be worthwhile; they might even find a specific niche they’re fascinated by, leading to them wanting to know a lot more.
If you would like more on education and learning from us – do check out these articles too:
Planning and teaching resources off KiddyCharts
Here are some more planning and resource ideas for you from the internet.
How To Create STEM Lesson Plans & STEM Activities
How to get your head into the planning space for STEAM and STEM activities - five great ideas from Steam Powered Family.
The Ultimate List of Preschool Themes
A set of themes and ideas to help you to teach and plan preschool lessons / homeschooling from Preschool Inspirations.
How to Choose the BEST Homeschool Planning Pages THIS Year!
If you are looking for a home comprehensive planning tool - then check this post out to help you decide what is best for you and your homeschooling life!
There are some more here offsite:
Education and mental health resources on the internet
Ideas for mental health and education across the internet.
The best teaching methods for your children
Looking at what teaching methods work for kids, and how we can help make them successful.
Understanding Your Child’s Learning Style
What learning style does my child have and how can I support it?
What is the Goal of Preschool? • The Thoughtful Parent
Let's take a look at what the point of preschool actually is for our children, so we can support it just that little bit better.
Do sign up to our newsletter as well:
Thanks so much for visiting us, and we would love to see you again,
Helen
Helen
Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, and website editor; and this site is (we think) the only Social Enterprise parenting magazine!Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, and use those grey cells at the same time.KiddyCharts has reach of over 1.1million across social and the site. The blog works with big family brands (including travel) to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10.It gives 51%+ profits to Reverence for Life, who fund a number of important initiatives in Africa, including bringing running water and basic equipment to a school in Tanzania.Helen has worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on.Get in touch TODAY!