This is about Billy, but it could just as easily be about any child. Billy, a belligerent eighth grader, was failing three out of his five subjects. He had trouble getting his homework done and stayed in his room for hours playing online video games and interacting with his friends. His Mom questioned him every day after school about his homework and his father continuously harangued him about shutting down his computer. In addition, his Mom and Dad fought with each other on a daily basis as to what was wrong with Billy. Was Billy just lazy? Did Billy have ADD? Maybe Billy had a learning disability that had been overlooked. What happened to that bright-eyed little boy that used to want to please them?
Children struggle in school for many reasons, but parents, teachers, and other adults tend to focus not on the causes, but on the effects. The result? The struggling student frequently comes across as being lazy, uncaring, and/or having an attitude problem. But when we focus on these issues, we may be taking the easy way out, and not dealing with the actual causes.
Usually it takes some investigating to get to the real cause of school problems. But the effort is well worth it. Billy´s parents were on the right track when they started questioning what was wrong with him. They realized that all the grounding, lecturing, prying and bribing were getting them nowhere. Eventually, Billy´s parents decided to call his guidance counselor to arrange a team meeting where each teacher shared how Billy was doing in his or her class. The team, along with Billy´s parents, decided it was wise to have Billy tested, educationally and emotionally, to see if there was a disability that was preventing Billy from functioning. After the testing was completed, another meeting was called. It was there that Billy´s test results were discussed.
Billy had dyslexia, which is a reading problem that was affecting all areas of school. It had been overlooked in the previous grades because Billy was quite bright and when he made mistakes it was blamed on carelessness or inattentiveness. In addition, Billy had difficulty with time management and organization, a common problem for middle- and high-school-age students. At this age, the part of the brain that performs most of these functions, the prefrontal cortex, is usually not yet fully developed. Finally, Billy refused to share his homework or tests with his parents for fear that they would take the computer out of his room again. Billy therefore decided the best way to deal with his problem was not to deal with it. He simply stopped working because he felt he´d rather fail than deal with his parents and the overwhelming amount of reading he had to do.
Once the cause of his problem was identified, the school provided an Orton-Gillingham based multi-sensory phonics program. (Note: there are many fine programs, including the Wilson Reading System aka Wilson Language Program and Preventing Academic Failure Program, PAF. Also, for more information, contact the International Dyslexia Association IDA).
His reading demands were modified, providing him the extra time he needed to implement his new phonics based reading strategies. In addition, he was given resource room one period per day, during which his teacher helped him with organization and time management skills. It wasn´t long before Billy began to succeed. In this case, the school was able to provide all the help Billy needed. In many cases however, children do not qualify for additional school support. In these cases, parents need to explore their options, for example, private tutoring or a different school.
Whenever a child struggles in school, there usually are one or more causes as described below. Once they are identified, an action plan needs to be developed to help the child succeed in school. ( Note: Accommodations can be based on a casual agreement with the teacher or principal or they can be more formal, for example, an Individual Educational Plan IEP, classification for dyslexia, or Accommodation / Section 504 plan).
1. PHYSICAL ISSUES. Many school problems are caused by a biologically-based (also known as organically-based) physical issue. There are children in our schools who have hearing losses or poor vision, and these ailments are not easily detected during their yearly physical. In some cases it is a minor problem, yet they can cause a child to struggle in school. It is always advisable for a parent to take their child to an audiologist for a full hearing evaluation and to a pediatric ophthalmologist for a full visual evaluation when a child struggles. In most cases these physicians will say that the child is just fine, but if the child has a problem, at least it will be addressed.
Other physical issues deal with basic health maintenance such as obesity, poor nutrition and sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation, specifically, causes many school-related issues. For example, many teenagers simply can´t function in school because they are too tired. Research has shown that for teens, their deepest sleep is in the early morning hours and that´s just when they are in first-period class with their heads on their desks.
There are learning issues associated with brain function such as dyslexia (a reading disability), dysgraphia (a writing disability which also affects math computations), language processing problems (difficulty processing language), or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD or the older terms, ADD or ADHD). In addition, many children are now being diagnosed as being on the spectrum. This may involve language, social and/or motor disorders. (Note: For additional information on AD/HD, contact CHADD Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder organization. For additional information on learning disability (LD) issues in general, contact the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA)).
2. SOCIAL ISSUES. Many children struggle in school because of societal issues. One such issue is peer pressure. For example, teens are totally immersed in what their friends say and do. They are wrapped up in their appearance and acceptance. Another societal issue is that many children live in poverty. The focus for these children is survival. They are more concerned about their next meal or where they will sleep than they are on tests and homework. This is also true for children who are caught up in a parents´ divorce or in a family problem. These children have enough to deal with. They can´t worry about school too.
Another social issue that directs kids´ attention away from schoolwork is the infamous school bully. Many children struggle with school because they are anxious all day because of the bully they will have to contend with at lunch, on the bus, or walking home from school. Many schools are putting programs in place to address this critical issue.
Unfortunately, school bullying isn´t the only issue some children have with school; now they are also anxious over their safety. We all need to feel safe, emotionally and physically. Unfortunately, in our post-9/11 world, many children and teens do not; they suffer from anxiety and depression because their basic need for safety is not being met. They cannot avoid hearing about wars, bombings, and, closer to their world, traumatic incidents like massacres at schools; they sense that their world has become increasingly more dangerous.
Finally, parental disinterest in education is another social issue. Even though our schools are filled with parents who care very much about their children's´ education, there are many who are not involved. Many children struggle in school because their most significant others, Mom and Dad, are not there to support them.
3. EDUCATIONAL ISSUES. Almost everyone has trouble in some area(s). Adults readily share with their friends how they had struggled in school, say with geometry or physics. Yet, these same adults sometimes forget this when they look at struggling children today, and they fall back on the easy answers: lazy or inattentive. While this may be the case, usually it is not. Usually, the problem is due to one or more educational issues.
To begin with, just as geometry or physics was difficult way back when parents were in school, children still find some of these courses difficult today. And similarly, just as younger children used to struggle with the 3R´s, reading, writing and arithmetic, many still do today. When these problems arise, a good place to start is to see what help is available form the teacher or school. Or, if appropriate, you, a relative, or a family friend may be able to help. Or, consider seeking outside help such as private tutoring.
Another consideration is that the subject may be just too difficult for a child to grasp at that time in their development. If we´re talking about a difficult high school subject, it may be possible to postpone taking that course for a year or two.
Another reason some children struggle in school is that they lack study skills, organizational skills, and/or time management skills. Many students will benefit from learning these skills. There are learning coaches, programs, and books to help (for example, No 449 Improve Your Study Skills workbooks, Silbert, StrongLearning.com). It is interesting to note that some children who had excelled in elementary school, find middle school and high school overwhelming. A common cause is that now, for the first time, they can no longer depend solely on their outstanding memory; they too need to learn these skills. They may even need to learn that they too have to study.
Finally, the teacher-child and/or school-child match may be a mismatch. Just as some people do better with one doctor or dentist compared with another, the same may be true with teacher-child or even school-child matches. In reality, changing doctors and dentists is a lot easier to do than changing teachers and schools. But such changes may be worth considering, because many children who can not succeed with one teacher or school setting can achieve beautifully in another. Therefore, if the teacher or the school is the cause of the problem, the parent needs to address it.
4. PSYCHOLOGICAL OR EMOTIONAL ISSUES. There are many psychological and emotional issues that cause school-related problems. When the child has these issues, school becomes one additional burden to deal with. Relief for the school component can come when the psychiatrist or psychologist working with the child works with the parents, administrators and teachers in order to find the best placement for the child.
When, on the other hand, the psychological and emotional issues are caused by one or more of the problems discussed above, those issues need to be addressed before, or concurrently, with any other treatment. The reason? In these cases, the other issues are the cause and the psychological/emotional issues are the effects. The child´s parents need to become involved. Once that portion is solved, the psychological and emotional issues may cease to be a problem.
Children struggle in school for many reasons, but parents, teachers, and other adults tend to focus not on the causes, but on the effects. The result? The struggling student frequently comes across as being lazy, uncaring, and/or having an attitude problem. But when we focus on these issues, we may be taking the easy way out, and not dealing with the actual causes.
Usually it takes some investigating to get to the real cause of school problems. But the effort is well worth it. Billy´s parents were on the right track when they started questioning what was wrong with him. They realized that all the grounding, lecturing, prying and bribing were getting them nowhere. Eventually, Billy´s parents decided to call his guidance counselor to arrange a team meeting where each teacher shared how Billy was doing in his or her class. The team, along with Billy´s parents, decided it was wise to have Billy tested, educationally and emotionally, to see if there was a disability that was preventing Billy from functioning. After the testing was completed, another meeting was called. It was there that Billy´s test results were discussed.
Billy had dyslexia, which is a reading problem that was affecting all areas of school. It had been overlooked in the previous grades because Billy was quite bright and when he made mistakes it was blamed on carelessness or inattentiveness. In addition, Billy had difficulty with time management and organization, a common problem for middle- and high-school-age students. At this age, the part of the brain that performs most of these functions, the prefrontal cortex, is usually not yet fully developed. Finally, Billy refused to share his homework or tests with his parents for fear that they would take the computer out of his room again. Billy therefore decided the best way to deal with his problem was not to deal with it. He simply stopped working because he felt he´d rather fail than deal with his parents and the overwhelming amount of reading he had to do.
Once the cause of his problem was identified, the school provided an Orton-Gillingham based multi-sensory phonics program. (Note: there are many fine programs, including the Wilson Reading System aka Wilson Language Program and Preventing Academic Failure Program, PAF. Also, for more information, contact the International Dyslexia Association IDA).
His reading demands were modified, providing him the extra time he needed to implement his new phonics based reading strategies. In addition, he was given resource room one period per day, during which his teacher helped him with organization and time management skills. It wasn´t long before Billy began to succeed. In this case, the school was able to provide all the help Billy needed. In many cases however, children do not qualify for additional school support. In these cases, parents need to explore their options, for example, private tutoring or a different school.
Whenever a child struggles in school, there usually are one or more causes as described below. Once they are identified, an action plan needs to be developed to help the child succeed in school. ( Note: Accommodations can be based on a casual agreement with the teacher or principal or they can be more formal, for example, an Individual Educational Plan IEP, classification for dyslexia, or Accommodation / Section 504 plan).
1. PHYSICAL ISSUES. Many school problems are caused by a biologically-based (also known as organically-based) physical issue. There are children in our schools who have hearing losses or poor vision, and these ailments are not easily detected during their yearly physical. In some cases it is a minor problem, yet they can cause a child to struggle in school. It is always advisable for a parent to take their child to an audiologist for a full hearing evaluation and to a pediatric ophthalmologist for a full visual evaluation when a child struggles. In most cases these physicians will say that the child is just fine, but if the child has a problem, at least it will be addressed.
Other physical issues deal with basic health maintenance such as obesity, poor nutrition and sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation, specifically, causes many school-related issues. For example, many teenagers simply can´t function in school because they are too tired. Research has shown that for teens, their deepest sleep is in the early morning hours and that´s just when they are in first-period class with their heads on their desks.
There are learning issues associated with brain function such as dyslexia (a reading disability), dysgraphia (a writing disability which also affects math computations), language processing problems (difficulty processing language), or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD or the older terms, ADD or ADHD). In addition, many children are now being diagnosed as being on the spectrum. This may involve language, social and/or motor disorders. (Note: For additional information on AD/HD, contact CHADD Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder organization. For additional information on learning disability (LD) issues in general, contact the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA)).
2. SOCIAL ISSUES. Many children struggle in school because of societal issues. One such issue is peer pressure. For example, teens are totally immersed in what their friends say and do. They are wrapped up in their appearance and acceptance. Another societal issue is that many children live in poverty. The focus for these children is survival. They are more concerned about their next meal or where they will sleep than they are on tests and homework. This is also true for children who are caught up in a parents´ divorce or in a family problem. These children have enough to deal with. They can´t worry about school too.
Another social issue that directs kids´ attention away from schoolwork is the infamous school bully. Many children struggle with school because they are anxious all day because of the bully they will have to contend with at lunch, on the bus, or walking home from school. Many schools are putting programs in place to address this critical issue.
Unfortunately, school bullying isn´t the only issue some children have with school; now they are also anxious over their safety. We all need to feel safe, emotionally and physically. Unfortunately, in our post-9/11 world, many children and teens do not; they suffer from anxiety and depression because their basic need for safety is not being met. They cannot avoid hearing about wars, bombings, and, closer to their world, traumatic incidents like massacres at schools; they sense that their world has become increasingly more dangerous.
Finally, parental disinterest in education is another social issue. Even though our schools are filled with parents who care very much about their children's´ education, there are many who are not involved. Many children struggle in school because their most significant others, Mom and Dad, are not there to support them.
3. EDUCATIONAL ISSUES. Almost everyone has trouble in some area(s). Adults readily share with their friends how they had struggled in school, say with geometry or physics. Yet, these same adults sometimes forget this when they look at struggling children today, and they fall back on the easy answers: lazy or inattentive. While this may be the case, usually it is not. Usually, the problem is due to one or more educational issues.
To begin with, just as geometry or physics was difficult way back when parents were in school, children still find some of these courses difficult today. And similarly, just as younger children used to struggle with the 3R´s, reading, writing and arithmetic, many still do today. When these problems arise, a good place to start is to see what help is available form the teacher or school. Or, if appropriate, you, a relative, or a family friend may be able to help. Or, consider seeking outside help such as private tutoring.
Another consideration is that the subject may be just too difficult for a child to grasp at that time in their development. If we´re talking about a difficult high school subject, it may be possible to postpone taking that course for a year or two.
Another reason some children struggle in school is that they lack study skills, organizational skills, and/or time management skills. Many students will benefit from learning these skills. There are learning coaches, programs, and books to help (for example, No 449 Improve Your Study Skills workbooks, Silbert, StrongLearning.com). It is interesting to note that some children who had excelled in elementary school, find middle school and high school overwhelming. A common cause is that now, for the first time, they can no longer depend solely on their outstanding memory; they too need to learn these skills. They may even need to learn that they too have to study.
Finally, the teacher-child and/or school-child match may be a mismatch. Just as some people do better with one doctor or dentist compared with another, the same may be true with teacher-child or even school-child matches. In reality, changing doctors and dentists is a lot easier to do than changing teachers and schools. But such changes may be worth considering, because many children who can not succeed with one teacher or school setting can achieve beautifully in another. Therefore, if the teacher or the school is the cause of the problem, the parent needs to address it.
4. PSYCHOLOGICAL OR EMOTIONAL ISSUES. There are many psychological and emotional issues that cause school-related problems. When the child has these issues, school becomes one additional burden to deal with. Relief for the school component can come when the psychiatrist or psychologist working with the child works with the parents, administrators and teachers in order to find the best placement for the child.
When, on the other hand, the psychological and emotional issues are caused by one or more of the problems discussed above, those issues need to be addressed before, or concurrently, with any other treatment. The reason? In these cases, the other issues are the cause and the psychological/emotional issues are the effects. The child´s parents need to become involved. Once that portion is solved, the psychological and emotional issues may cease to be a problem.
