How to Deal with Your Slow Learner Child? 10 Main Problems and 10 Study Tips
The transition from the playful world of pre-school to the structured environment of school is a challenging and multi-stage process. A child’s success in school depends on many factors: overall intelligence, cognitive activity, and their ability to persist with learning tasks. At school, children must consciously follow rules set by the teacher and cope with increased workload, which can be exhausting. Modern children are different from previous generations, and schools are evolving as well, with rising demands on students’ knowledge and skills.If your child’s poor performance is related to their temperament, they may excel in one subject but struggle to find time for others. Such children often have very stable emotions and attitudes and can be difficult to persuade to change their views.
Advice:
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What should parents be prepared for, and how can they help their child succeed in school?
- Create a supportive learning environment. Ensure your child has good nutrition, a healthy routine, adequate sleep, a peaceful atmosphere, and a comfortable study space. Believe in your child’s abilities, celebrate even small achievements, show patience and love, and never insult them for failures. Support learning by providing reference books, dictionaries, handbooks, atlases, and textbooks relevant to the curriculum. Use audio materials for study sessions, watch educational programs together, and discuss what you’ve learned.
- Build positive associations with school. Some children naturally dislike the school environment, which can impact their performance. When children enjoy what they’re doing, schoolwork feels less like work and more like an engaging activity. Talk positively about school and learning, avoid negative remarks about teachers or subjects, and make the learning process engaging and enjoyable.
- Engage and interact with your child. To encourage your child to share their struggles and seek solutions together, maintain open and regular communication. Children often lack motivation for homework and may avoid it unless prompted. Instead of forcing them, turn homework into an interactive, interesting activity. Share stories and thoughts to make learning more relatable.
- Establish clear rules. While it’s important to remain calm and gentle, set a consistent schedule—especially for homework. Balance time between play, schoolwork, and extracurricular activities by creating a clear daily agenda.
- Help with homework, but don’t do it for them. Your role is to support, not complete, your child’s homework. Discuss tasks, let your child write answers independently, and use this as an opportunity to review material. If your child spends too long on one task, set a timer (without placing it directly in front of them). If they can’t finish in time, gently point this out and see how much extra time is needed. Always praise them when they meet deadlines or show improvement.
- Have meaningful conversations. Instead of asking "What did you do at school today?" (which often elicits “Nothing.”), try questions like “Can you describe your day at school?” to encourage more detailed responses.
- At first, your child may only share positive moments. Over time, you’ll discover what truly bothers them. Listen to what they say about classmates, teachers, and subjects—notice what they talk about or avoid mentioning.
- Nurture your child’s interests. Pay attention to preferred subjects and don’t force your own priorities. For example, don’t insist on geography over English or math if your child is passionate about another area. Agree together on improving weaker areas before moving on to favorite activities like experiments or programming.
- Take appropriate action. If your child is unhappy or struggling with a particular subject, offer help. Ask about specific challenges in class, supervise homework, and assist whenever possible. If you’re unable to help, consider hiring a tutor.
- Don’t tackle all weaknesses at once. Focus on one important subject—either one that you or your child prioritize. Practice consistently and patiently, regardless of immediate results. Improvements in one subject often positively impact overall performance.
Important! Pay attention to early warning signs. If your child complains about a teacher or subject, discuss the issue before directly contacting the teacher. Acting without your child’s consent may worsen the problem.